Education
Barbro Dahlman received her Artist Diploma in Piano from Edsberg College/Conservatory of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation and a B.A. with honors in Piano/Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Principal teachers include Gunnar Hallhagen, Hans Leygraf, Jose Ribera, Emerson Meyers, Arturo Benidetti Michelangeli, Carlos Zecchi, and Guido Agosti. She completed courses in Electronic and Computer Music at the Electronic Music Studio in Stockholm. She attended Composition seminars at the Royal Academy of Music, including special classes given by Aloys Kontarsky, Yugi Takahashi, the La Salle Quartet, Witold Lutoslawski, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, Earl Brown, Terry Riley, Robert Ericsson, and Morton Feldman.
Performance and Teaching Experience
An active performer, Barbro has given solo recitals in the United States and abroad, including Washington, DC, New York City, Athens, Montreal, Paris, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Scandinavia. Orchestral appearances include performances with the Danish Radio Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Orchestra, the Northern Virginia Symphony, and the Washington Sinfonia. Recently, she has performed at the New Music Festival in San Francisco, CA, and at the Society of Composers Regional Conference at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
As a founding member of the Contemporary Music Forum, Barbro has performed as a soloist and chamber musician, participated in numerous concerts, workshops, and residencies, and served as President, Chairman of Publicity, and Director of Outside Concerts.
Barbro has held residences, given solo appearances at numerous colleges and universities throughout the U.S., and participated in notable festivals in the US and abroad including the Inter American Music Festival, Scandinavia Today, Society of Composers Inc. former American Society of University Composers ( National and Regional Conferences), Electronic Music Plus, New Music America, UNM (Young Nordic Music Festivals ), Summer Festivals in Sweden Musik vid Siljan, Musikveckan i Östersund and the Kils International Piano Festival. Her chamber music performances include the Library of Congress, Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, the Virginia Museum, Berwald Concert Hall (Stockholm), WETA Television, Composers’ Forum (New York), Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Kitchen (NYC), Organization of American States, Baltimore Chamber Music Society, and Peabody Conservatory.
Throughout the 70s and 80s, Barbro was on the road touring annually at colleges and concert venues in the US and Sweden, sponsored by the Nationwide Concerts, Swedish State Department, and the Foundation for Nationwide Concerts Sweden.
Since 1987, Barbro has been on the piano faculty at George Washington University and served as its coordinator for several years. Previously, she held part-time positions at community music schools in Stockholm and Nacka, as well as at the Edsberg College/Conservatory of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation’s Music Department. She was also the Master teacher on the Interpretation and Techniques of Contemporary Music for teachers at the Community Music School in Stockholm. Barbro currently maintains a private studio, where her students have gone on to participate in festivals, recitals, and have won concerto and scholarship competitions. She is currently a member of the Maryland Music Teachers Association and was formerly a member of the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association.
At Levine
Barbro has been on the Levine faculty since 1976, where she teaches private piano instruction. She is the school’s longest-serving faculty member. She has held numerous positions and taken on various roles since her time here, including serving as piano faculty chair, contributing extensively to the creation and implementation of the Certificate Program, participating in student juries, and being elected faculty representative to the Board.
“I value being in a musically stimulating environment surrounded by colleagues who represent the highest level of teaching standards. I also value the support and dedication of a music-loving administration.”
Teaching Philosophy and Approach
“I approach each student on an individual basis, starting from each student’s own level of accomplishment and guiding them to develop their own strength, while emphasizing a balance between technical and musical skills.”