Barbara Banacos Piano Studio

09/06/2025

My latest Substack post is about redistributing notes in Debussy’s First Arabesque.

To make a passage of music easier to play, we can sometimes take a note or group of notes and play it with the other hand.

08/23/2025

I now have a Substack page dedicated to the Taubman Approach for Piano Technique!

I'm Barbara Banacos, a piano teacher in the Boston area specializing in the Taubman Approach for piano technique. Click to read Piano Technique with Barbara, by Barbara Banacos, a Substack publication. Launched a month ago.

05/21/2025

Another wonderful annual spring recital for my students 18 and under happened on Saturday, May 17th! So proud of all the work these kids put in and it was wonderful to see them perform so well. The program included Chopin Waltzes, Debussy’s Doctor Gradus, Liszt’s Liebestraum, movements from Beethoven and Mozart Sonatas, as well as some modern works like Summer by Hisaishi. My mother and I performed a handful of duets from Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants. Bravo everyone!

03/10/2025

Another fun Shalin Liu recital hosted by the North Shore Piano Teachers Guild. It’s so great to see so many talented kids from many teachers in the area. Congrats to my three on all your hard work! Loved guiding you through the process and seeing your success! ❤️

07/20/2024

My story of a piano-related injury when I was 20 is now a podcast episode on “Inside the Taubman Approach”!
My injury was so serious I had to leave college for two years. I would not be a pianist or teacher today- a life I love! - without the Taubman Approach and my teacher Robert Durso. Thank you Benjamin Harding for having me on the show.

‎Show Inside the Taubman Approach, Ep 42: Barbara Banacos on Being Healed from Dystonia and Helping others through the Taubman Approach - Jul 19, 2024

05/19/2024

Another happy recital day for all my students under 18! Five of my mother’s students joined us today as well. ❤️

03/16/2024

Two of my students performed at the North Shore Piano Teachers Guild recital in Rockport MA today! Jack was grooving on “Kool Kat” by Catherine Rollin and Ryan performed Chopin’s Nocturne in Eb soooo beautifully!!!
My mom’s amazing students played a Handel Passacaglia arrangement and Schubert’s Gb Impromptu. It was a beautiful day! ❤️

01/19/2024

The video performance of “Pelaghia” with my mother and duet partner, Margaret Banacos, is now on YouTube!

"Pelaghia" (Of the Sea) was written by American composer, pianist and educator Charlie Banacos in 1984. This recording was made on March 13th, 2022 at Klavie...

10/24/2023

I was in Boulder, Colorado this month presenting at a Taubman Approach workshop with Effortless Artistry Music. I presented talks on the technique of arpeggios and how to incorporate elements of the Taubman Approach with children. I led a technique clinic and taught private lessons. I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing my fellow presenters and colleagues; Brenna Berman, Beth Grace, Ron Stabinsky and Darren Wirth. Thank you to Brenna and everyone who put the weekend together! And thank you Kevin Snyder Photography for the wonderful photos!