Studio

ABOUT THE TEACHER


Mr. Pfannschmidt enjoys helping each student to develop skill as a musician in a learning environment that provides encouragement, fun, and creativity. He enjoys developing strategies to help each student succeed. He has taught students from 3 to 93. He particularly enjoys working with middle and high school students and also adults.


Since 1986, Mark Pfannschmidt has taught violin and viola for students ages four to adult. His students have won auditions in youth orchestras throughout the region. He was awarded 2011 Teacher of the Year for the MD/DC Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. In 2020, he became an RCM Certified Teacher (Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada). In 2023, he was appointed an adjunct faculty member teaching violin, viola, and harp at the Barbara Ingram School of the Arts in Hagerstown, MD.


Mr. Pfannschmidt began his musical study with violin and piano while still in elementary school. He switched from violin to viola as a young teenager. He has also studied voice, harp and harpsichord. In the end, he chose to focus on the viola, because of its rich tone and unusual repertoire--and the employment prospects were much better!


He completed his last two years of pre-college musical training at the Interlochen Arts Academy. From there he went to the Peabody Conservatory, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance. He earned his Master of Music degree from The Catholic University of America on a half-tuition scholarship. He was also the recipient of a String Quartet Fellowship at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he completed one year of doctoral studies. His principal teachers were David Holland, Karen Tuttle, Jody Gatwood and Gerald Fischbach. Always looking to improve his skills as a teacher, Mr. Pfannschmidt has taken teaching courses from Ronda Cole and Rebecca Henry, with ongoing education at numerous conferences and workshops. In addition, he has added music theory instruction to his studio offerings, using the Ultimate Music Theory curriculum. He is an Ultimate Music Theory Certified teacher, having completed the UMT Teacher Certification Course.


Since January 2023, he has renewed his interest in the harp and has taken up studies with Elisa Dickon, with whom he studied when he was at the Interlochen Arts Academy. He has given several recital performances on harp at senior living communities.


He has been a violist in the National Philharmonic for more than 35 years. He is a former principal violist of the Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) Chamber Orchestra. For most of the 1990's, he was a violist in the US Marine Chamber Orchestra and regularly performed for White House functions.


He and his wife Laura have two adult children: Jason and Emily.

Studio PolicY

  • TUITION AND FEES

    Tuition rates effective January, 2026.


    Tuition plans:

    Tuition is calculated for the school year (late August to early June). Payments may be divided into two semesters or even monthly installments (September to April). Payment options:

    1. Semester payment by bank draft (ACH).
    2. Semester payment by credit card. A fee will be added to the total. To pay by credit card, send me a text or email and I will add the fee to your invoice and change the settings to allow credit card payment.
    3. Even monthly installments. I add a $10 monthly fee. The last installment is due in April.

    45 Minute Lessons are offered for beginning students in any grade up to the early concerto level. $80 per lesson.


    60 Minute Lessons are for students at the level of early concertos and above. $100 per lesson.


    Theory Classes are charged at the rate of $45 for 45-minute class or $55 for 60-minute class. Classes are 45-minutes weekly through Prep 2; at Basic Rudiments they become 60-minutes weekly.


    Private theory lessons are charged at the same rate as other private lessons.


    Recital Fees are $50 per family per semester for a studio recital, whether or not they are able to participate. This fee is charged at the beginning of the quarter. This fee is waived for students who live out of the area and are online only.

  • ABSENCES

    Bad Weather

    If there is bad weather, we will plan to have our lessons online. Please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make plans.


    Teacher Absences

    I have allowed for planned for absences during the school year by charging you for fewer lessons than planned. A detailed calendar will be given at the beginning of the school year. I will make a similar plan for those who begin after the beginning of each session. In the unlikely event that I miss more than one lesson, either makeup lessons or tuition credits will be given.


    Student Illnesses

    Students who have communicable diseases or are too sick to have a lesson should not come. They will not receive a makeup lesson. If a student has an extended illness or injury, please call me so we can make plans. I am willing to teach an online lesson for a student who is otherwise well enough to benefit from a lesson.


    Other Student Absences

    If a student cannot come for a regular lesson, contact me at least one week in advance so we can reschedule the lesson. I do not offer credits. I only offer two makeup lessons for excused student absences; absences in excess of two will not be made up.

  • PRACTICE

    Thoughtful repetition is the key to success. Students should practice at least five days each week. With a first year student, 20 to 30 minutes a day is usually enough. In the second year, a daily minimum of 45 minutes is expected. Intermediate students should be practicing at least one hour each day. Advanced students should plan their schedules so they can practice even more. Learning to practice regularly is part of studying an instrument. I may ask a student with a pattern of poor preparation to stop taking lessons until they can demonstrate better habits.

  • AUDITIONS AND PERFORMANCES

    Students are encouraged to play for others, as long as they are ready to present a performance that their audience will enjoy. Let me know about upcoming auditions or performances so we can be sure the student is well prepared. I give regular studio recitals.

  • MATERIALS

    Students must have a well-maintained instrument and bow of the correct size, extra strings and rosin in the case. I will let you know what music is needed. For practice at home, the student will need a music stand, metronome and tuner.

  • SUMMER LESSONS

    Summer can be a great time for rapid progress. Many students have more time for practice. Students who are in town and do not take summer lessons may lose a place in my fall schedule. I will give students who study in the summer priority in my fall schedule.

STUDENT SUCCESS

  • 2024 Achievements

    RCM Exams

    First Class Honors

    Wendy Cheng, Music Theory, Level 6


    Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra 

    2023 Concerto Competition

    Jonah Borger, viola, winner

  • 2023 Achievements

    RCM EXAMS

    First Class Honors with Distinction

    Avery Chupka, Music Theory, Level 7


  • 2022 Achievements

    RCM EXAMS

    First Class Honors with Distinction

    Wendy Cheng, Music Theory, Level 5

    Avery Chupka, Music Theory, Level 5

    Avery Chupka, Music Theory, Level 6

    David Zaff, Viola, Level 1


    First Class Honors

    Wendy Cheng, Viola, Level 6

    Adrienne Choe, Viola, Level 3

    Aditi Vanga, Violin, Level 3

  • 2021 Achievements

    ONLINE RCM EXAMS

    (Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada)


    First Class Honors with Distinction

    Mireya Graff, Violin, Preparatory Level

       Regional Gold Medal, Northeastern US


    First Class Honors

    Arush Arora, Viola, Level 6

    Adrienne Choe, Viola, Level 2

    Avery Chupka, Violin, Level 4

    Cally Mosman, Viola, Level 7

    Aditi Vanga, Violin, Level 2

    Jeffrey Yang, Music Theory, Level 5

    Lumina Zhang, Viola, Level 6


    Honors

    Nanda Kota, Violin, Level 7

    Rosemary Yang, Viola, Level 8


    YOUTH ORCHESTRAS


    Maryland Senior All-State Orchestra

    Michael Wang, viola


    MCYO

    Arush Arora, Kamarata!, viola

    Cally Mosman, Kamarata!, viola

    Michael Wang, Chamber Ensemble, viola

    Rosemary Yang, Philharmonic, viola

    Jenny Zhao, Symphony, viola


    PVYO

    Adrienne Choe, Concert, viola

  • 2020 Achievements

    Summer 2020 RCM Exams

    (Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada)


    First Class Honors

    Wendy Cheng, Viola, Level 5

    Lumina Zhang, Viola, Level 5


    First Class Honors with Distinction

    Arush Arora, Viola, Level 5

    Michael Wang, Viola, Level 7


    Youth Orchestra

    MCYO

    Philharmonic

    Rosemary Yang, viola


    Symphony

    Arush Arora, viola

    Michael Wang, viola

  • FORMER STUDENTS

    Former students who have completed or are pursuing advanced studies on their instrument:


    Neil Chopra (viola) - is a viola performance major at Mannes School of Music in New York.


    Patrick Sykes (viola) - graduated from Towson University with a minor in viola performance. He was a student of Dr. Sherry Norwitz.


    Hannah Cohen (violin) - graduated from West Virginia University with a BS in biomedical/medical engineering. Due to her advanced ability on the violin, she received a substantial scholarship. 


    Christopher Lock (viola) - graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in 2013 and the Peabody Institute in 2017. He completed a BM with a double major in Viola Performance and Computer Music Composition. He studied viola with Renee Skerik at IAA and Victoria Chiang and Richard Field at Peabody. He is currently pursuing graduate studies at Harvard and has completed many composition projects for film. In 2024 he completed his PhD in Electronic Music at Harvard.


    Stephan Loh (viola) - spent three years in the National Symphony Youth Fellowship Program where he studied with William Foster. He graduated from UMD with a BS in computer science, where he minored in viola performance with Katherine Murdoch.