Mark Pfannschmidt - Violin, Viola & Piano

IN-PERSON | VIRTUAL

Mark Pfannschmidt's violin and viola students have successfully auditioned for local youth orchestras, all-county orchestras, and the Maryland All-State Orchestras. He has taught at the National Philharmonic Summer String Institutes since 2001. He is an RCM Certified Teacher and was named 2011 Teacher of the Year for ASTA MD/DC. Most recently, he has been appointed to the faculty of the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts in Hagerstown, MD, where he teaches violin and viola and is also a collaborative pianist. He is an Ultimate Music Theory Certified teacher and teaches UMT group classes.

Mr. Pfannschmidt's musical journey began with violin and piano while still in elementary school. In 7th grade, he switched to the viola at the suggestion of his school orchestra teacher. He has also studied voice, harp and harpsichord. He is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, Peabody Conservatory, and Catholic University. His viola teachers include David Holland, Karen Tuttle, Jody Gatwood, and Gerald Fischbach. He has taken courses in violin teaching with Ronda Cole and Rebecca Henry, with continuing education at Rolland Workshops, Tuttle Coordination Workshops, ASTA National Conferences, American Viola Society Congresses and Early Music on Modern Instruments workshops. He has been a violist in the National Philharmonic since 1986. For most of the 1990's, he was a violist in the US Marine Chamber Orchestra and regularly performed for White House functions.

Mr. Pfannschmidt is also a professional pianist and regularly performs for studio recitals and master classes. He has been a featured pianist at the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute.

Together with his wife Laura, he has two adult children: Jason and Emily.