Dr. Catalin Dima
Assistant Professor - Applied Piano and Class Piano
Music | Performing Arts
Fine Arts 123
Biography
Catalin Dima – Biography
Hailed as a pianist who displays “an expressive and unleashed interpretation, transcending all the technical challenges of the score…a gift to the audience” (Romanian Music Radio), Catalin Dima has established himself as one of the leading artists of his generation.
He has performed in prestigious venues across North America, Europe, and Asia, including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York City), Klavierhaus (New York City), Tamagawa Academy (Tokyo), Preston Bradley Hall (Chicago), the Romanian Embassy (Washington, D.C.), the Cosmos Club (Washington, D.C.), and the Romanian Athenaeum (Bucharest, Romania).
He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), the Pitești Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), the Washington Sinfonietta (Washington, D.C.), and the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (Winchester, Virginia).
An active recitalist and chamber musician, Dima has performed at international festivals including the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York City), Interharmony International Music Festival (Germany), and the International Summer Academy (Austria).
Dedicated to championing Romanian music, Dima curates recital programs that reflect a spirit of exploration, blending standard repertoire with Romanian works rooted in folk traditions. He frequently shares this music through lecture-recitals and presentations at MTNA and CMS conferences. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, he has collaborated with Pulitzer Prize–winning composers David Lang, Jennifer Higdon, and John Corigliano, and has performed with ensembles such as Edge Ensemble (Shenandoah Conservatory) and Great Noise Ensemble (Washington, D.C.).
A frequent guest artist and adjudicator, Dima is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the College Music Society. He has adjudicated for festivals and competitions including the MTNA Collegiate Competition (OK and TX), the Denison Piano Competition (TX), the Washington Conservatory of Music Festival (Washington, D.C.), the Hubbard-Males Piano Competition (OK), the Texoma Piano Competition (OK), the NVMTA Piano Achievement Awards (VA), and the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy Festival (VA).
A laureate of numerous competitions, including the Yamaha, Karl Filtsch, Pro Piano, and Frédéric Chopin International Piano Competitions (Hartford, CT), Catalin Dima holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Shenandoah Conservatory, a Master of Music from Mannes School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from the National University of Music Bucharest.
Courses Taught
Applied Piano: PNO 1510, PNO 2510
Class Piano: MUS 2341, MUS 2441, MUS 2541, MUS 2641, MUS 3441, MUS 3541