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Molly Orlando, Studio Director & Piano
DC Pianist Molly Orlando is nationally recognized as a soloist, collaborator, teacher, and adjudicator. Praised by the Washington Post for her ‘great style’ and performances that are ‘searching’ and ‘edgy’, Molly is equally at home in traditional and brand-new repertoire. An advocate for new music, Molly has premiered numerous works, including a performance as the soloist in the world premiere of Daniel Felsenfeld’s piano concerto The Curse of Sophistication. She has also premiered works by Douglas Boyce, Timothy Dusenbury, John Elmquist, Matt Curlee, and Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis.
Molly has worked extensively with UrbanArias (Service Provider and Shining Brow), Great Noise Ensemble, and Third Millennium Ensemble, and her recent concert seasons have included solo and chamber recital appearances at the North Carolina School for the Arts, College of Wooster, Utah State University, Penn State University, the Arts Club of Washington, North American Saxophone Alliance, and the International Saxophone Symposium. Molly’s recently completed projects include a recording of Douglas Boyce’s A Book of Songs with tenor Robert Baker, a tour through West Virginia and Pennsylvania as a member of RPS Collective, a saxophone/percussion/piano trio, and a full album recording of story-inspired music with Carolyn Braus and Devree Lewis.
Because of her success in taking on notoriously difficult repertoire, Molly has a growing reputation among classical saxophonists and is in high demand as a collaborator, reflected in her recent and upcoming performances with saxophonists Jeremy Koch, Robert Young, Kyle Hutchins, Carolyn Braus, David Stambler, Tim Powell, and Branford Marsalis.
Molly teaches at the George Washington University and is an owner of Opal Music Studio, a community music studio in Old Town Alexandria, VA. An established teacher and successful business owner, Molly is in high demand as a private teacher and is widely recognized as a pedagogue and entrepreneur. Molly has been a guest lecturer at universities nationwide, including at Penn State University, the University of Florida, University of Maryland, and Shenandoah Conservatory; her recent presentation topics have included lectures on building a successful private studio, motivating overscheduled or underinterested students, and implementing useful strategies to maximize studio results. She has maintained a thriving private studio for the past 20 years, where she instructs students of all ages and abilities.
Molly completed her BM and MM degrees at the Catholic University of America, graduating summa cum laude as a scholarship student of Thomas Mastroianni and Marilyn Neeley.