Where Musical Creativity Flourishes

Maxine started her passionate journey of playing the piano at age 6, when her father brought an old upright piano into her family home. A native of Sharon, Massachusetts, her early years were shaped by the rich and impactful musical influences of the Boston area.

In high school, Maxine studied with David Hagan of the New England Conservatory. In addition to many solo performances, she served as a choir director and an accompanist throughout middle and high school years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Piano from Vassar College, and then her Master of Music in Piano Performance with a Concentration in Pedagogy from Catholic University. She studied with Blanca Uribe at Vassar College and then with Marilyn Neeley, at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, both of whom are Van Cliburn Competition winners.

Maxine has enjoyed a 30+ year teaching career. She started by teaching her peers in the Rose Parlor at Vassar, and then maintained a piano studio throughout her post-graduate years until she founded the Laura Hall Music Academy. LHMA was named after Maxine’s mother, who was among her most ardent supporters. Maxine has performed throughout the U.S as a solo artist, orchestral pianist, accompanist, and chamber musician. She served as Artist in Residence at the Arts Center in Yuma, Arizona. Solo performance highlights include full recitals at Skinner Hall, Ward Recital, and most recently Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. She was also an Adjunct Professor of Piano at Arizona Western College where she taught Music Appreciation, private and group piano, and served as an accompanist for the Arizona Western College Choir. She has served as a church director/accompanist at numerous churches for 15 years of her career as a musician.

Upon settling down in the Northern Virginia area, Maxine directed the Laura Hall Music Academy on Church Street and opened the Vienna Academy of Music and Arts on Chain Bridge Road in Vienna. The academy has been voted Best in Vienna for Music Instruction multiple times. She is a member of the National Music Teachers Association, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has served as chairperson for the Guild Playing Auditions and has professionally judged on numerous occasions. Maxine has been on the National Honor Roll of Piano Guild Teachers for 10 consecutive years. She attributes much of her teaching success to the teachers with whom she has studied and the hundreds of students that she has had the privilege of teaching. Her studio has always been diverse, talented, and vibrant.

Maxine is the mother of three wonderful children, who are all accomplished musicians and who contribute in various ways to the academy’s success. Maxine’s steadfast vision has spanned over three decades—a vision to share the love of music and instill excellence in music and the arts.