Biography

Originally from Central New York, Maria Rabbia is a dynamic and accomplished collaborative pianist and vocal coach, celebrated for her artistry, versatility, and deep commitment to musical storytelling. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Collaborative Piano from Boston University in May 2024, where she studied under renowned pedagogue Shiela Kibbe.

Maria’s professional credits span a rich array of national and international institutions. She has served as a vocal coach and collaborative artist with esteemed programs including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI), IC Opera Studio, the International Performing Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany, The Voice Institute of the Finger Lakes, Opera Company of Middlebury (VT), and the Trentino Music Festival in Mezzano, Italy. She has also held artistic roles with Opera Ithaca and served as Assistant Conductor and Pianist for the Opera Direction Professional Certificate Program in Ithaca, NY.

During her doctoral studies, Maria played a frequent role in numerous Boston University Opera Institute productions, serving as répétiteur, continuo player, and orchestral pianist. Equally passionate about art song, she is a strong advocate for programming works by underrepresented and marginalized composers. This mission was central to her five DMA recitals, in which she intentionally curated programs featuring primarily lesser-known repertoire. In 2023, she also made her Carnegie Hall debut, performing in the Weill Recital Hall through the Boston University Student Spotlight Series.

In the 2024–2025 season, Maria collaborated with Boston Opera Collaborative on multiple productions, including the immersive Horror Opera Inferno, a double bill of The Telephone and La voix humaine, and their recent staging of Hänsel und Gretel.

With over a decade of private piano teaching experience, Maria is especially valued for her intuitive ability to connect with students of all ages—from young beginners as young as three to adult learners. Her teaching style is engaging, encouraging, and deeply inspiring to both pianists and vocalists. Since 2021, she has been a dedicated faculty member at the Cambridge Music Consortium, where she serves as a piano instructor, Suzuki accompanist, and vocal coach. She works as a Collaborative Pianist with VOICES Boston Children’s Chorus, supporting students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Brookline, MA.

Her upcoming engagements include collaborating with VOICES Boston on a production of The Hobbit, a children’s opera by Dean Burry, and joining the summer 2025 faculty of Opera al Mare, a international training program for emerging opera artists held in Cesenatico, Italy.