MISSION
The Brownsville Piano Studio is the first specialized school for piano in the lower valley. We are committed to a high level of piano teaching, learning, and playing. Students of all ages are encouraged to delve deeper into their creativity by not only aspiring to play the piano but also aspiring to make music.
Each student is given the utmost attention with personalized lesson plans and carefully selected repertoire. Emphasis is primarily given to technique, sight-reading, and musicianship through interpretation.
Competitions, festivals, and masterclasses are offered in our learning program motivating students to reach their highest potential. From local to national recognition, our students are always well prepared and receive the highest accolades.
At the Brownsville Piano Studio we are also advocates for sharing each students’ talents throughout our wonderful community. Recitals are given at local nursing homes, museums, and churches. Additionally, each student is encouraged to showcase their learning at our end of semester recitals.
Our mission is to give each student the proper tools to succeed in and outside of the music world nurturing discipline, responsibility, creativity, and sensitivity. The Brownsville Piano Studio invites you to join in our mission to help music bring about a better and more united world.
WHAT WE TEACH
our founder
Linda Chávez is a Mexican-American pianist from Brownsville, TX. A Magna Cum Laude graduate, she received her Bachelor’s of Music Education with emphasis in piano at the University of Texas at Brownsville (’14). As the recipient of the Scholastic Excellence Award two years in a row, hard work and perseverance have become synonymous with her career path. Among her accomplishments are receiving the University Scholars Scholarship (‘09-‘15), receiving the Brownsville Society of Performing Arts Scholarship (‘13-‘14), winning the 2013 Concerto-Aria Competition, elected President of the UTB Clavier Club, and received the Roberto Pullido Grant (‘14). Additionally, she was awarded a scholarship to study in the Campamento de Piano en Palmares in Costa Rica (‘13), participated in the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy (‘14 & ‘16), was awarded a scholarship to study in the Nuevo Mundo Festival and Academy in Aruba (‘15), and attended the Teaching Artist Program at Lincoln Center in NYC (‘17).
Ms. Linda received a Masters of Music in Piano Performance at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts (’16) where she was awarded the Longy Conservatory Dean Scholarship, received two teaching assistantships, served as President of the Longy Student Association, and was a finalist in the Longy Honors Competition. Most recently, she has received much success with her piano duo Table for Two alongside pianist Ilana Cady. Together they opened the Styriarte Music Festival in Graz, Austria by winning their prestigious competition in 2016 with their all women composer program. Since then they have done multiple tours all throughout the United States and sealed their five-concert Spring Tour in New England with high praise. Currently, Ms. Linda works as an Accompanist and Assistant Choir Director teaching over 150 kids at HCISD and is also the pianist for the Valley Symphony Orchestra. She is also a member of the American College of Musicians: Piano Guild; President of the NFMC Club in Brownsville, and the founder and organizer of the George Ramirez Young Artist Festival.
Ms. Linda has continuously sought to further develop musical growth in Brownsville. It is her mission to give young pianists and musicians ample opportunities to cultivate their talents and creativity. In addition to her full time teaching job with the school district, she currently teaches over 25 students, all of which have shown tremendous progress and improvement. Ms. Linda strives to bring artistry and ingenuity to each of her lessons. Her love and dedication to all of her students and their families is undeniable.
Ms. Linda is proud to have founded the first music school specialized in piano and is humbled to work alongside such talented colleagues. She hopes to continue to make a difference with her music and with her passion for positive change.
MEET OUR TEAM
dr. Juan Pablo Andrade
Costa Rican pianist Juan Pablo Andrade maintains a very active international career as a soloist, recitalist, collaborative pianist, pedagogue, adjudicator and clinician. He is the recipient of numerous awards, among them are the First Prize at the Artlivre International Piano Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil; First Prize in the National Piano Competition in CR; First Prize in the Concert of Soloists Competition at Arizona State University; First Prize at the UNCG Concerto Competition and Second Prize in the University of Costa Rica Concerto Competition.
He has performed as soloist with the South Bend Symphony, the Greensboro Symphony, the UNCG Symphony, the ASU Symphony, the Central American Symphony, the Bolivian National Symphony, the Costa Rican Youth Symphony, and in many occasions with the Costa Rican National Symphony. Recent performances include his return to the Costa Rican National Symphony with Mozart Concerto No. 26, and a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Powder River Symphony. As a recitalist he has appeared throughout the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Spain. Many of his performances have been recorded and broadcasted by the Phoenix Classical Radio Station KBAK, Costa Rican University Radio and Costa Rican National Television. He is also a very active chamber musician and some of the musicians he has collaborated with include Margaret Lattimore, Kenneth Grant and Bonita Boyd. In addition, he is a member of the violin-piano duo Andrade-St-Pierre, with Canadian violinist Frederic St-Pierre with whom he has offered concerts in the US, Canada and Costa Rica.
In the year 2000 he was awarded the National Prize of Music, one of the highest recognitions given to a musician by the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture. Andrade obtained the Bachelors and Licenciatura in Music degrees from the University of Costa Rica in San José; the Masters of Music from Arizona State University, an Artist Diploma from Indiana University-South Bend and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
His teachers include Gerardo Duarte, Robert Hamilton, Alexander Toradze and John Salmon. He has served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at Idaho State University, Lecturer of Piano at UNCG, and is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, in Brownsville. Dr. Andrade is also on faculty at the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy.
