Barbro Dahlman

If you’ve had the privilege of studying piano at Levine Music, you’re likely familiar with the name Barbro Dahlman. As the school’s longest-serving faculty member, Barbro has been integral to the Levine community since 1976. Her exceptional teaching skills and captivating performances have helped solidify Levine’s reputation as the premier music school in the Washington, DC area.

Raised in Ohio, Barbro first became interested in the piano because of her father, who loved the instrument and was an amateur pianist himself. He would play a few lines of a piece, and Barbro, determined to hear it in its entirety, would learn the rest. She was ten years old when she began piano lessons in earnest.

After graduating from high school, Barbro set out to study piano in her parents’ homeland of Sweden. She attended the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and the Edsberg College/Conservatory of the Swedish Broadcast Corporation, honing her skills and developing a deep appreciation for classical music. She also grew more interested in contemporary music with the encouragement of her late husband, composer Ulf Grahn.

Barbro was 25 when she returned to the United States and settled in Washington, DC. She performed extensively in the area and, in 1973, co-founded the Contemporary Music Forum, a group of professional performers and composers committed to presenting concerts of works by living composers. They performed regularly at the Corcoran Gallery and in iconic venues such as the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and various museums and universities throughout the eastern United States.

Levine Music was founded in 1976, and Barbro has been here since day one. She’s held many positions at Levine, including serving as the Piano Department Chair. Barbro has a remarkable ability to connect with students of all ages and backgrounds, fostering a love of music that extends far beyond the classroom. Over the years, adult students, in particular, have sought out Barbro for her teaching style. She excels at supporting her students while pushing them to reach their potential. Pamela Sverjensky, retired Levine piano instructor and former department chair, observed Barbro’s teaching up close. “It was remarkable to me, and must have been gratifying to her, to observe how a work would gradually but assuredly progress under their fingers, knowing she had provided just the right guidance at the right time,” said Pamela.

Barbro Dahlman’s legacy at Levine Music is immeasurable. She has not only shaped the lives of countless students but has also helped establish Levine as a leading institution in music education. Many of her former students have returned to Levine to bring their children for lessons! Her dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to the arts have made a profound impact on the Washington, DC, community and beyond. Reflecting on the most significant changes since the early days of Levine, Barbro said, “It’s amazing how Levine has grown and diversified in repertoire. I’ve had piano students who have also played guitar in a rock band; there are so many different kinds of musical experiences one can have here.”

Levine’s community portraits are a rotating showcase of students, alumni, and faculty members displayed at our Northwest DC campus. The individuals photographed are just a small sample of the many extraordinary people who make up the Levine Music community. From teachers with storied careers to students looking toward the future, their journeys are ones of determination, passion, and collaboration.