Level up your love for Beethoven! Join us for an inspiring morning of piano mastery featuring guest speaker Narciso Solero presenting “Leveling up Beethoven Sonatas, from Op. 2 to Op. 111!” followed by performances by students of teachers from Richmond Music Teachers Association and VCU Piano Area students. From early masterworks to late-period brilliance, experience the complete journey through Beethoven’s piano sonatas in one exceptional morning!
Leveling up Beethoven Sonatas will take place on March 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM in the James W. Black Music Center Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23284.
Schedule:
- 10:00 AM – Presentation by Narciso Solero.
- 11:00 AM – RMTA/ VCU Student Concert
This event is free and open to the public.
ABOUT NARCISO SOLERO
NARCISO SOLERO, pianist, piano teacher, and lecturer in piano pedagogy, is an active master class teacher and lecturer. This past summer, he launched a series for pianist asnd teachers called Level It Up!, a series of 21 videos (and counting!) in which he explores the repertoire of some 22 different composers, organizing their compositions into levels ranging from most accessible to most advanced, plus some other related pedagogical videos. What began for Mr. Solero as a simple project to gauge interest from teachers turned out to be quite successful, with teachers registering for his series from not only the DC area and MidAtlantic, but also across the United States, from Chicago to the West Coast and even Alaska. This season alone, his program has resulted in speaking engagements that include online programs for Utah Music Teachers Association virtual chapter, the Anchorage ( AK) Keyboard Teachers Association, and live workshops for Montgomery County (MD) Music Teachers Association, Richmond (VA) Music Teachers Association, Springfield (VA) Music Club, a senior club in the National Federation of Music Clubs), and 15-episode season of podcasts streamed on multiple platforms. The Level It Up! Library can be found on his website and the videos are available on his YouTube channel with registration; visit his website, wwww.narcisosolero.com, to register.
He has previously served as featured clinician and convention speaker for Virginia Music Teachers Association state convention and the West Virginia Music Teachers Association state. conference. Previous speaking engagements have included workshops for New York Singing Teachers’ Association, Charlottesville Music Teachers Association, Springfield Music Club, Peninsula Music Teachers Association, Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association, Richmond Music Teachers Association, Tidewater Music Teachers Forum, Roanoke Valley Music Teachers Association, Highlands Chapter of MTNA, Peninsula Music Teachers Association, Battle Creek (MI) Music Teachers Association, Piedmont Music Club, and Springfield Music Club; He has given master classes at James Madison University, Springfield Music Club Spring Festival, and for independent teachers in Northern Virginia and Maryland. He has previously been a featured panelist for the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association and for Virginia Music Teachers Association state conference. Three of his students and he were filmed and featured in the ASCD educational video Learning to Think…Thinking to Learn, which was released in 2007.
Based in Falls Church, VA, Mr. Solero teaches students from pre-kindergarten through high school,and has a thriving group of adult students as well. His students present four concerts annually, including a concerto concert. His students have earned prizes in MTNA, NVMTA, and VMTA competitions, reached the finals of the National Symphony Young Soloists’ Competition, and attended prestigious summer programs such as Interlochen, Tanglewood, and Brevard. He also works with adults, from beginners to professionals and piano teachers.
As a performer, Mr. Solero has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Strathmore Mansion, and internationally in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand, including broadcasts on KBS-TV Korea. He has collaborated with artists such as soprano Beverly Rinaldi (CCM), Plácido Domingo, Harolyn Blackwell, and Vanessa Williams.
A Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Mr. Solero remained fully active as a teacher during treatment and has been in remission since 2017. He continued teaching full-time during intensive chemotherapy to cope with his diagnosis and treatment, and he continues to share how music sustained his resilience and recovery.
