Catherine Costello Hirata grew up in Calgary, Alberta where she began studying piano at the age of four. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Calgary and a master’s degree from the University of British Columbia, both in Piano Performance. She taught for several years at the prestigious Vancouver Academy of Music and has frequently performed as a soloist, in chamber groups, and with orchestras.

In the 1990s, Catherine received a master’s degree in Musicology from California’s Claremont Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Columbia University. Her doctoral thesis focused on American composer, Morton Feldman, whose music raises questions about the very nature and purpose of musical analysis. Catherine became active in the Society for Music Theory, giving talks at conferences, publishing papers, and teaching college level music theory and history courses. She was awarded a Whiting Fellowship for her dissertation research and graduated with distinction. She is an active member of the New England Piano Association, having served as both a board member and the chair of the investment committee.

Catherine has been teaching piano and music appreciation in her home studio in Belmont for the past twenty years. It has become for her a cherished way of bringing music into the homes of students in the greater Boston area. When she is entrusted with a child’s musical development, she feels a sense of honor and responsibility and aims to bring all her musical knowledge to bear.

Catherine Costello Hirata Piano Studio serves Belmont, MA and surrounding areas.