Adult Studies
In addition to individual instruction on all instruments, PCM has a vibrant and growing slate of group classes, ensembles, and music history and appreciation offerings for adults.
- Individual Instruction
- Group Lessons & Ensembles
- Music History & Appreciation
Click on individual departments below or call the PCM office at 626.683.3355 for more information.
Ensemble Offerings
Winter Quarter: November 18, 2025 – March 1, 2026
Spring Quarter: March 2 – June 1, 2026
Chamber Music
Winter: November 19, 2025 – February 25, 2026
Spring: March 4 – May 27, 2026
Wednesdays: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Instructor: Dr. Bryan Fasola
Tuition: $504
The Adult Guitar Ensemble gives guitarists the rare but exciting opportunity to play orchestral repertoire on the classical guitar in a group setting. Rehearsals are fun and focused on preparing for a public concert at the end of each quarter. All guitarists with some music reading abilities are welcome to join. Audition required. Contact the front office for more information.
Please contact the office to enroll: music@pasadenaconservatory.org or 626-683-3355.
Winter: November 20, 2025 – February 26, 2026
Spring: March 5 – May 28, 2026
Thursdays: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Instructors: Simone Vitucci and Erika Walczak
Tuition: $504 (Material Fee: $10)
For adults new to string instruments, this class will focus on fundamentals: tone production, intonation, reading and playing in an ensemble setting.
Winter: November 18, 2025 – March 1, 2026
Spring: March 2 – June 1, 2026
Mondays: 5:30 – 6:30 pm (Spring only) or 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Or Wednesdays: 6:45 – 7:45 pm
Instructors: Yi-Ju Lai (Monday) Nic Gerpe (Wednesday)
Tuition: $240 (Material Fee: $10)
This course provides an introduction to piano playing in a group setting using digital keyboards and is designed for beginners with little to no prior experience. With an emphasis on ensemble playing, ear training, and building confidence through a collaborative and supportive learning environment; students develop fundamental keyboard skills, including note reading, rhythm, hand coordination, and basic music theory. All classes take place in the Technology Lab of the Learning Center.
Winter: November 20, 2025 – February 26, 2026
Spring: March 5 – May 28, 2026
Thursdays: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Instructors: Simone Vitucci and Erika Walczak
Tuition: $504 (Material Fee: $10)
Students acquire ensemble chops while learning just enough about music theory, history, ear training, and healthy practice habits to support their development as a whole musician.
Jazz Combos
Winter: August 26, 2025 – May 29, 2026
Spring: March 2 – June 1, 2026
Mondays: 2:00 – 3:30 pm
or Wednesdays: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
or Thursdays: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
or Saturdays: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Instructor: Sherry Luchette
Tuition: $504
Students learn to play jazz and blues standards in an ensemble setting. Through guided listening, students learn about melody, arrangements, chords, scales, and jazz improvisation.
Please contact the office to enroll: music@pasadenaconservatory.org or 626-683-3355.
Instructor: Sherry Luchette
Students participate in daily rehearsals as well as Jazz theory, ear training, improvisation, and Jazz history lessons. The intensive culminates in a Friday evening performance by all participants.
Please contact the PCM office at music@pasadenaconservatory.org or 626.683.3355 for more information.
Recorder
November 20, 2025 – February 26, 2026
Thursdays: 9:30 – 11:00 am
Instructor: Rachael Denny
Tuition: $240 (Material Fee: $10)
Students play soprano, alto, and tenor recorders in small consorts, with an emphasis on individual musicianship within the ensemble. Students explore music written and arranged for the recorder, from early music of the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary arrangements of popular music.
Voice
Winter: November 20, 2025 – February 26, 2026
Spring: March 5 – May 28, 2026
Thursdays 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Instructor: Dr. Joshua Tan
Tuition: $240 (Material Fee: $10)
Glee Club members have fun while learning about proper vocal health, choir etiquette, and how to read music through the study of solfège and ear training. The club ventures through various genres of choral repertoire including classical, contemporary, jazz, and musical theater.
Winter: January 8 – February 26, 2026
Spring: March 5 – May 28, 2026
Thursdays 10:00 am – 10:45 am
Instructor: Dr. Joshua Tan
Tuition: $180 (Material Fee: $10)
Love to sing and eager to keep growing? Join Chamber Singers—a vibrant, close-knit group of dedicated singers selected from the larger Glee Club at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Just like the full ensemble, you’ll find a fun, friendly, and encouraging atmosphere, but with fewer singers per part, you’ll have even more opportunities to strengthen your musicality and vocal independence. Enjoy focused individual feedback during rehearsals and take part in additional performances and community events that let your voice truly shine.
Participation includes concurrent enrollment in the full Glee Club (Thursdays from 11–12:30) and consistent attendance throughout the season.
We can’t wait to make music with you!
*Concurrent enrollment in Glee Club required
World Music
Spring: March 7 – May 31, 2026
Adult Ensemble
Sundays: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Youth Ensemble*
Saturdays: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructors: Celia Yu Liu, Susan She, Xiaobo Li
Tuition: $540
This course offers an immersive introduction to Chinese folk music through hands-on study of the pipa, guzheng, or erhu. Students choose one instrument (provided free for the first quarter of instruction) and explore the historical and cultural contexts of regional Chinese musical traditions while developing fundamental performance techniques. Emphasis is placed on listening, imitation, ensemble playing, and expressive interpretation.
No prior experience with Chinese instruments is required. Students have 50 minutes of instrument-specific instruction in a group setting followed by a 60-minute rehearsal combining all three instruments to create a Chinese folk ensemble.
* Youth ensemble is ages 8+.
Winter: November 22, 2025 – February 28, 2026
Spring: March 7 – May 30, 2026
Saturdays: 10:00 – 11:30 am
Instructor: Natalie Brejcha
Tuition: $504
Come make music with your peers in a relaxed but lively setting where everyone – from the beginner to the seasoned expert – can participate at their level of ability and comfort. Together students discover and play folk music from around the world starting with American Roots Music (Fiddle tunes, Bluegrass, Country, and Blues).
The ensemble is open to all instruments—but particularly chorded instruments like acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and solo instruments like violin, viola, and cello.
Winter: November 18, 2025 – February 24, 2026
Spring: March 3 – May 26, 2026
Tuesdays: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Instructor: Noel Ayala- Loera
Tuition: $240 (Material Fee: $10)
Mariachi Pasadena! students learn to play and sing mariachi standards in an ensemble setting. This includes learning songs and instrumental tunes from all over Mexico and Latin America.
Adult and youth ages 12+.
Intergenerational
Percussion instructor Yuri Inoo leads children and adults in fun and inspiring drum activities suitable for all ages. No prior experience necessary.
Ages 6+ with an accompanying adult are invited to enroll.
Tuesdays: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Instructor: Noel Ayala- Loera
Tuition: $240
Mariachi Pasadena! students learn to play and sing mariachi standards in an ensemble setting. This includes learning songs and instrumental tunes from all over Mexico and Latin America.
Adult and youth ages 12+.
*Summer offering available
Adult History Offerings
Winter: October 1, 2025 – May 6, 2026
First Wednesdays: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Instructor: Dr. Vatché Mankerian
Tuition: $168
While the piano was invented in the early 18th century, it did not become popular immediately. In fact, it would take about another hundred years for it to take hold when Beethoven became the first composer to use it as his keyboard instrument of choice, leaving behind the clavichord and harpsichord. With the arrival of Chopin and Liszt and the popularization of the solo recital, the piano was finally established as king of musical instruments, remaining as such for the next two centuries. These seven lecture-recital-style presentations chronicle the development of music for piano through discussions and live performances of the exemplary works by some of the greatest composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Bartok, and many more.
Winter: January 13 – March 17, 2026
Tuesdays: 9:00 – 11:00 AM
Instructor: Sarkis Baltaian
Tuition: $320
This course examines the development, cultural significance, and artistic impact of international piano competitions. From their origins in the 19th century to their influence on today’s global music scene, this course explores the evolution and impact of these prestigious events, including the Chopin, Leeds, Tchaikovsky, Queen Elizabeth, and Van Cliburn competitions.
Through an examination of key historical moments, legendary pianists, and the changing criteria for judging, we will survey how these competitions have influenced the careers of world-class musicians, fostered international exchange, and shaped classical music performance standards. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the intersection of artistry, competition, and public reception in the modern classical music world.
Winter: January 9 – March 13, 2026
Fridays: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Instructor: Dr. Oliver Greene
Tuition: $320
Film music has profoundly shaped American culture and society. This course examines the evolution of music composed for—and popularized by—motion pictures across seven decades: from the advent of sound in the 1930s through early 2000s. Featured films include The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Cabin in the Sky (1943), Stormy Weather (1943), An American in Paris (1952), Orpheus (1959), Psycho (1960), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Pink Panther (1964), The Graduate (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Shaft (1971), Superfly (1972), American Graffiti (1973), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Purple Rain (1984), The Bodyguard (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), and The Lord of the Rings (2001). Emphasis is placed on films of cultural and national significance—those that reflect perspectives on war, social movements, historical periods, and beliefs concerning the future.
Spring: March 20 – May 29, 2026
Fridays: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructor: Dr. Oliver Greene
Tuition: $320
This class is recorded each week, and the video is available for enrolled students who are unable to attend in person. Since the 1920s, Broadway musicals have played an integral part in entertaining America and expressing the ideals of major social and cultural movements. This course examines the music and themes of the most influential musicals of the 20th century, including Show Boat (1927), Porgy and Bess (1935), Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), Guys and Dolls (1955), My Fair Lady (1956), West Side Story (1957), The Sound of Music (1959), Gypsy (1959), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Rent (1996), and The Lion King (1997). Most of these musicals were made into motion pictures and were performed in touring productions. Come celebrate the music of the theatre and learn why these musical masterpieces are considered timeless works of art.
Spring: April 7 – June 9, 2026
Tuesdays 9:00 – 11:00 am
Instructor: Sarkis Baltaian
Tuition: $320
This online course explores the rich tradition of piano transcriptions, arrangements, and paraphrases from the 18th century to the present. The class will take a closer look at how composers and performers have adapted orchestral, operatic, vocal, and chamber works for solo piano, transforming them into new artistic statements. Through score study, listening, and performance-based analysis, the course will highlight the works of composers such as Liszt, Busoni, Rachmaninoff, Godowsky, and contemporary transcription artists. It will further investigate the aesthetic, technical, and interpretive challenges of these works, spotlighting stylistic interpretations, technical challenges, and the creative
Theory Courses
August 26 – November 11, 2025
Tuesdays: 2:15 – 3:15 pm
Instructor: Dr. Kathryn Eames
Tuition: $180
Using Basics of Keyboard Theory curriculum, students learn intermediate theory through sequenced instruction. This course is for intermediate level singers and players. A “Basics of Keyboard Theory” book* is required ($13.95).
*Materials can be purchased in the front office or at various online retailers
January 13, 2026 – March 31, 2026
Tuesdays: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Instructor: Dr. Kathryn Eames
Tuition: $180
Using Basics of Keyboard Theory curriculum, students continue to expand their horizons through sequenced instruction in advanced music theory. A “Basics of Keyboard Theory book* is required ($13.95).
*Materials can be purchased in the front office or at various online retailers
Winter: November 24, 2025 – February 23, 2026
Spring: March 2 – June 1, 2026
Mondays: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Instructor: Sherry Luchette
Tuition: $180
The Adult Studies Jazz Theory class is for beginner to intermediate ability levels. This class includes ear training drills on music intervals, triads, and 7th chords. Students study lesson topics from Shelly Berg’s “Essentials of Jazz Theory,” including various scales, chord patterns, and soloing exercises that can be directly applied to jazz standards. Students bring their instruments (pianos provided) and are given weekly practice assignments in line with their experience level.
Student Voices
Julia Langer
When I retired, I moved to Pasadena and my son said, “Mom, if you would learn to play the cello, we could have a string quartet!” My three granddaughters were taking violin and viola lessons at PCM, so I was already impressed with the quality of PCM’s programming and instructors. In December 2012, I began cello lessons. While studying music has its own intrinsic rewards, my cello studies have opened up a whole new arena of student experiences to share with my granddaughters. I strive to be a good “music student” model for them; and they, in turn, become my teachers from time to time. I have also discovered that one is never too old to begin a completely new challenge.
Ralph Miles
I think PCM is an organization that Pasadena needs. It makes a difference. I love my weekly piano lessons and want to help make sure the Conservatory can serve our community well into the future.
Eric Chadwick
Cello has been the next chapter of music for me, having focused mostly on vocal studies in my high school and college years. While I decided to learn cello for my own development and enjoyment, the highlight has been sharing in my son’s journey in learning the cello at the same time. He has studied from a young age, but now we often practice and learn together. We have both advanced to the point where we can enjoy cello duets and trios with our instructor, in addition to our solo repertoire.