Catherine Grimball

QUICK FACTS

Languages:  English (fluent)  |  French (intermediate) | Italian (beginning)
Instrument: Piano
Musical Styles: Classical, Jazz, Modern, Game Music, Film OST
Specialized Skill Levels: All
Focus: Theory, History, Mindset
Affiliations: Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association

Adult Students Welcome!

Ms. Catherine Grimball provides musical instruction and mentorship to students of all ages and abilities. In addition to teaching and performing, she is an active accompanist, organist, and chamber musician in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Ms. Grimball began her musical studies with Dr. Lynne Lauderdale in Pensacola, Florida.  Early formative experiences include a concerto performance with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and summer studies at the Indiana University Piano Academy.   A spark for chamber music was formed while attending performances of the Beaux Arts Trio in Bloomington, Indiana.  Ms. Grimball continued her studies in Michigan at the Interlochen Arts Academy with Michael Coonrod and summers at the Brevard Music Festival studying with Douglas Weeks.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Grimball has performed nationally at venues such as the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, Colorado, Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, abroad at the Australian Chamber Music Festival in Townsville, Australia, and the Opera and Chamber Music Festival of Lucca, Italy.  She has studied chamber music with the Takács Quartet, Judith Glyde, James Tocco, and Awadajin Pratt and in masterclasses with artists such as the Eroica Trio, Fabio Bidini, Malcolm Bilson, and Sergei Babayan.  As part of the Palladium Piano Trio, Ms. Grimball was a national finalist of the MTNA Chamber Music Competition.

An active collaborative pianist, Ms. Grimball has served as accompanist of the Wilmington Choral Society in Wilmington North Carolina, and as a coach for the Advanced Vocal Institute at Interlochen Arts Camp.  As Music Director of the Artists in Residence Program of the Pensacola Opera, Ms. Grimball performed over 100 outreach events and concerts for diverse audiences across the Gulf Coast, including a children’s opera, an improvised opera, and a newly commissioned opera based on the history of the Pensacola region.

Ms. Grimball holds Bachelors (cum laude) and Masters degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Frank Weinstock and Richard Fields.  She recently relocated to the region with her husband and three children and is excited for the opportunity to teach at the Academy.