About Daniel Mahlberg
"Phenomenal ... a breath of fresh air."
Background
Dr. Daniel Mahlberg, PhD, MA, BFA, ARCT, ALCM, LLCM, RMT, is an instructor of piano and pedagogy, an RCM certified teacher, and an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music. He has taught privately, and as a faculty member of several music academies, since 1995. Over the course of his teaching career, he has mentored new and veteran teachers in piano pedagogy, developed academy curricula for group and private instruction, and coached students in a diverse array of genres, including popular and jazz styles. Dr. Mahlberg currently maintains a busy private studio in Burnaby, BC, where he teaches piano, pedagogy, theory, and composition. His students receive frequent performing opportunities through master classes, recitals, and public concerts; many continue on to become successful teachers themselves.
Dr. Mahlberg received early instruction in piano and music theory from Paula Copithorn, Ronald Morgan, Helen Nickel, and Elizabeth Wolak. At the post secondary level, he was greatly influenced by Rodney Sharman (Simon Fraser University), Michael Finnissy (University of Sussex), and Jane Coop (University of British Columbia). Dr. Mahlberg holds a PhD in historical musicology from the University of British Columbia; his doctoral dissertation, on early twentieth-century Finnish music, was undertaken under the direction of Vera Micznik and David Metzer.
Dr. Mahlberg maintains an active adjudicating schedule; venues include the Carillon Music Festival, the Chancellor Music Festival, the National Professional Music Teachers’ Association, and the Registered Music Teachers’ Alumni Association. He has also served as a master teacher for the University of British Columbia Piano Pedagogy course.
Dr. Mahlberg has performed in collaborative, solo, and chamber music recitals both locally and abroad, most memorably in a 17-hour performance of Satie’s Vexations in Lewes, UK. He has also worked in TV and film, including a role as pianist and coach for the movie White Noise: The Light.
Dr. Mahlberg has an extensive background in music composition. He studied composition at Simon Fraser University, the University of Sussex in Brighton (UK), and on scholarship at Germany's Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt. In Germany, his work was premiered as part of the celebrated Summer Course for New Music, an arena for avant-garde composers and performers. Dr. Mahlberg enjoys sharing his perspective on music composition and has led workshops and presentations for the Registered Music Teachers’ Alumni Association and the National Professional Music Teachers’ Association. His composition students have won international awards and secured scholarships to universities throughout Canada.
Education
- PhD (Musicology), University of British Columbia
- MA (Musicology), California State University
- BFA (Music), Simon Fraser University
- ARCT (Pedagogy), Royal Conservatory of Music
- LLCM (TD), London College of Music
- ALCM (TD), London College of Music
Teaching
- Private Studio, Burnaby, BC
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Vancouver, BC
- Moody Music Academy, Richmond, BC
- Carillon Music Academy, Surrey, BC
Professional Affiliations
- American Musicological Society (AMS)
- British Columbia Registered Music Teachers' Association (BCRMTA)
- Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association (CFMTA)
