About the Director

Thomas LaRatta, pianist and teacher from San Mateo, has devoted his entire life to helping develop our young people in the fields of performance and teaching. His complete faith in youth has been rewarded by his many outstanding students who have represented his work internationally. Many of his students have received awards in competitions at the local, national and international level.

Mr. LaRatta received the major part of his musical training at the Chicago Musical College where he was a scholarship pupil of Rudolph Ganz and received both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Peninsula Symphony, and many other orchestras throughout the country. Since his San Francisco debut at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, Mr. LaRatta has continued to present recitals in the Bay Area, New York, the Midwest and the West Coast. He has also conducted many master classes and lecture-recitals in these areas. He is well known to audiences in Japan and Taiwan, where he has appeared both as master teacher and performer.

In addition to his many performances, he has devoted the major part of his time to teaching. Along with his duties as director of the Conservatory, he is an Artist-Teacher on the faculty.