About the Altadena Academy of Music

The Altadena Academy of Music and Arts is Pasadena’s premiere music academy, specializing in providing high-quality piano, violin, viola, cello, drum / percussion, guitar, ukulele, bass, and voice lessons to students of all ages. Since 2003, the Academy has had the privilege of serving thousands of students. The Academy is a proud member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) and the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA). The Academy is also a proud Teaching and Educational Partner of Steinway & Sons.

About the Director

The Altadena Academy of Music is operated by Dr. Regina Gurgenyan, a lifelong musician and passionate educator, who has been sharing her knowledge and expertise with students for over two decades.

At the age of fifteen, Dr. Regina graduated with honors from the Z. Paliashvili Special Music Gymnasium in Tbilisi, Georgia (USSR). The Gymnasium, dubbed a world-class talent factory, and the home of world-acclaimed musicians such as Khatia Buniatishvili, became her second home. A student Georgian pianist Tengiz Amirejibi (who himself was a student of Heinrich Neuhaus, a world-famous Soviet/Russian pianist).

Dr. Regina earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Tbilisi State Conservatory and taught undergraduate music courses to talented young musicians at her alma mater for over a decade. Later in her career, Regina taught undergraduate level courses in theory and piano performance at the Moscow Central Music Gymnasium.

After moving to the United States in 2011, Regina pursued her dreams and was determined to share her love and passion for music with her community.

Academy Awards

The Altadena Academy of Music is one of the few exclusive academies that is a Teaching and Educational Partner of Steinway & Sons. Having a deep relationship with Steinway, we are proud to offer our students access to workshops, masterclasses, and supplementary programs.

The Altadena Academy of Music has been recognized as Best of Pasadena by Pasadena Weekly for six years in a row!

The Altadena Academy of Music has been recognized by Expertise.com as the Top Music School in Altadena and Pasadena, CA - a designation we are extremely proud of!

About our Teachers

No matter what your goals are with music lessons, our team of world-class teachers is here to support you on your journey. With degrees from the best conservatories in the world (including Juilliard, Columbia, Yale, Berklee, USC Thornton), our teachers are truly like no other.

Student Awards

Although most of our students choose to pursue music as a hobby (while still developing great skills and music theory knowledge), some of our students decide to pursue music professionally and enroll in MTAC Certificate of Merit Exams, participate in domestic and international competitions, and study music at an extremely comprehensive and nuanced level. Just a few of the many of our students’ achievements can be found below.

100% pass rate on the MTAC Certificate of Merit Exams
97% average score on the Theory portion of the Certificate of Merit Exams
First place at the Naples International Youth Piano Competition (student Donald Nguyen)
First place at the Milano International Piano Competition (student Andrew Kim)
First place at the Los Angeles Young Pianist’s Competition (student Audrey Kim)
First place at Colibri International Vocal Competition 2021 (student Sharani Bhattacharya)
Second place at Colibri International Vocal Competition 2022 (student Chloe Obeyesekere)

As a school, we do not shy away from sharing the work of our students, as we are extremely proud of the progress that each one of them makes! To view our Student Gallery showcasing some of our student performances, click the button below!

View Student Performance Gallery

Performance Opportunities

The Altadena Academy of Music offers multiple recital opportunities every year (generally in April and December) to students enrolled in music lessons.

Over the years, the Academy’s recitals have developed a reputation for being fun, engaging, encouraging, and full of surprises. For us, a recital is not just a concert showcasing hundreds of pieces, it is a celebration of the success and effort of our students and teachers. We strive to make each recital special for all participants!

Optional Exam Preparation

The Altadena Academy of Music routinely prepares students for MTAC Certificate of Merit Exams (from Prep Level through Level 10), as well as AP Music Theory Exams. Our dedicated and qualified instructors have years of experience with the CM and AP curricula and we boast a 100% pass rate. So, if you are interested in preparing for CM or AP Music Theory, simply let us know when registering!

Classes and Instruments We Offer

The Altadena Academy of Music offers private music lessons to students of all ages and levels in Pasadena, Altadena, Monrovia, La Cañada, Glendale, Burbank, and the San Gabriel Valley. Currently, we offer the following programs. To learn more about each program, click on the link below!