MTNA’s 150th Anniversary Celebration
"Every Teacher, Every Legacy: MTNA at 150”
Supported by the MTNA Foundation Fund 150th Anniversary Affiliate Enrichment Grant
Committee: Allison Franzetti, Mira Kang, Marianne Lauffer, Esma Pasic-Filipovic
João Paulo Casarott, MTO (Music Teachers Online)
President and Director of the Piracicaba International Piano Festival)
Dr. João Paulo Casarotti is a Brazilian pianist, educator, researcher, and internationally active clinician whose work brings together performance, piano pedagogy, technology, and teacher education. He is the founder and artistic director of the Piracicaba International Piano Festival, the Encontro Internacional de Pianistas do Vale do Aço, and the Piracicaba International Piano Concerto Competition in Brazil. Based in Arizona, he maintains private and online piano studios and has held teaching and faculty appointments at institutions including Glendale Community College, St. Norbert College, Southern University, Temple University, the University of North Dakota, and schools in Brazil. As a performer and scholar, he has appeared throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and his research interests include the piano works of Brazilian composer Ernst Mahle, the Taubman Approach, and innovative uses of technology in piano instruction.
Dr. Casarotti has also maintained a strong connection with the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) through presentations, publications, and service. He has presented regularly at MTNA National Conferences, contributed articles to American Music Teacher and the MTNA Business Digest, and during the COVID-19 pandemic served as a consultant for MTNA, helping provide webinars that supported thousands of teachers as they transitioned to online instruction. In 2025, he presented two sessions at the MTNA National Conference in Minneapolis, one on Brazilian piano repertoire and another exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on piano pedagogy and music education. His work continues to reflect a commitment to advancing piano teaching, expanding access to music education, and supporting the professional development of music teachers.