TEACHING

Diana Thacher works closely with students across solo performance, chamber music, and collaborative piano, guiding them toward depth of preparation, artistic responsibility, and trust in their own musical thinking. Her teaching is shaped by an active performing life and by years of working with musicians at different stages of development, from emerging students to advanced performers.

At the center of her approach is the belief that music matters most when it creates a moment of presence — when sound draws listeners fully into the moment and offers a feeling of clarity, connection, and meaning. In the studio, this translates into focused technical work, careful listening, and an ongoing exploration of how each student works most naturally at the instrument.

Diana’s work emphasizes versatility and independence. Students are encouraged to build reliable technical foundations, develop stylistic awareness, and make informed artistic decisions, whether performing solo repertoire, collaborating with others, or preparing for professional demands. Rather than applying a single method, she works with each student individually, helping them recognize their own strengths, challenges, and artistic voice.  

Her teaching reflects an evolving approach to classical music — grounded in rigor and curiosity, attentive to tradition, and open to the living, present nature of the art form.