About
Altadena Academy of Music offers private music lessons including piano, voice and singing, guitar, drum and percussion, violin, viola, cello, ukulele, bass and bass guitar, recorder, trumpet, trombone, French horn, flute, clarinet, domra, banjo, mandolin, and saxophone. The program also offers music theory, music composition, songwriting, early childhood music, exam and audition preparation, MTAC Certificate of Merit exam preparation, AP Music Theory exam preparation, recitals, workshops, masterclasses, music practice in practice rooms, and instrument rental.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Multiple recital opportunities every year, generally in April and December
• Price: Instrument rentals start at $29/month.
Altadena Academy of Music has been family owned and operated since 2003 and has served thousands of students in Altadena, Pasadena, La Cañada, Los Angeles, and the Greater San Gabriel Valley. The teaching faculty includes multiple DMA holders and teachers with Master's Degrees from conservatories, with degrees from schools including Juilliard, Columbia, Yale, Berklee, and USC Thornton. The Academy is operated by Dr. Regina Gurgenyan, who graduated with honors from the Z. Paliashvili Special Music Gymnasium in Tbilisi at age fifteen, earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Tbilisi State Conservatory, taught undergraduate music courses there for over a decade, and later taught undergraduate theory and piano performance at the Moscow Central Music Gymnasium.
The Academy specializes in providing piano, violin, viola, cello, drum and percussion, guitar, ukulele, bass, and voice lessons to students of all ages, and states that its world-class faculty is here to make students' musical journey rigorous, fulfilling, and exciting. It offers recitals that it describes as celebrations of the success and effort of students and teachers, and it provides magical music recitals featuring special guests, certificates, trophies, and opportunities to share music with friends and family. Students have complimentary access to a music theory lab with exercises and modules suited to both adults and young learners.
Altadena Academy of Music is a Teaching and Educational Partner of Steinway & Sons, is a Steinway-Certified Academy, and has a deep relationship with Steinway Galleries in Pasadena and Beverly Hills. It is the only academy in Pasadena and Altadena that offers students access to a Steinway Model A Grand Piano at the Academy for lessons, recordings, and practice time, and it is the only music school in Pasadena to offer students access to practice space in addition to their lessons. Through its Steinway partnership, students receive complimentary access to workshops, masterclasses, and special events held by Steinway Artists. The Academy reports a 100% pass rate and a 97% average on the MTAC Certificate of Merit Exams, has been recognized as Best of Pasadena by Pasadena Weekly for six years in a row, and has been recognized by Expertise.com and Expertise Magazine as a top music school in Altadena and Pasadena.
The Academy is a member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA), and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, and it is described as an ardent supporter of the Pasadena Unified School District and local private and charter schools. Students can utilize practice rooms at the Academy if they do not have an instrument or appropriate space at home, and affordable rental instruments are available starting at $29 per month for home use. Students receive a 10% discount on all services and purchases at partner Impulse Music Co., new students receive a complimentary welcome package, and in-home lessons are offered.
Altadena Academy of Music offers a flexible make up policy where all make up classes are private lessons rather than group classes, month-to-month lessons with no semester minimums required, and access to practice space and music practice rooms. A comfortable parent's lounge with Wi‑Fi, magazines, and kids’ books is provided, and parents may sit in on their child's lesson anytime they like. All classes are temporarily held at the East Walnut location until remediation efforts are completed at the Lake Avenue facility, and moving forward, all classes are planned to be available at both locations.
Parent and student testimonials describe positive experiences with piano instructors, a nice space, many highly qualified teachers, and instructors who are patient and positive, and one testimonial notes that the school teaches all instruments and is a place where adults feel comfortable taking up an instrument later in life.
Last updated April 1, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Multiple recital opportunities every year, generally in April and December
• Price: Instrument rentals start at $29/month.
Altadena Academy of Music has been family owned and operated since 2003 and has served thousands of students in Altadena, Pasadena, La Cañada, Los Angeles, and the Greater San Gabriel Valley. The teaching faculty includes multiple DMA holders and teachers with Master's Degrees from conservatories, with degrees from schools including Juilliard, Columbia, Yale, Berklee, and USC Thornton. The Academy is operated by Dr. Regina Gurgenyan, who graduated with honors from the Z. Paliashvili Special Music Gymnasium in Tbilisi at age fifteen, earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Tbilisi State Conservatory, taught undergraduate music courses there for over a decade, and later taught undergraduate theory and piano performance at the Moscow Central Music Gymnasium.
The Academy specializes in providing piano, violin, viola, cello, drum and percussion, guitar, ukulele, bass, and voice lessons to students of all ages, and states that its world-class faculty is here to make students' musical journey rigorous, fulfilling, and exciting. It offers recitals that it describes as celebrations of the success and effort of students and teachers, and it provides magical music recitals featuring special guests, certificates, trophies, and opportunities to share music with friends and family. Students have complimentary access to a music theory lab with exercises and modules suited to both adults and young learners.
Altadena Academy of Music is a Teaching and Educational Partner of Steinway & Sons, is a Steinway-Certified Academy, and has a deep relationship with Steinway Galleries in Pasadena and Beverly Hills. It is the only academy in Pasadena and Altadena that offers students access to a Steinway Model A Grand Piano at the Academy for lessons, recordings, and practice time, and it is the only music school in Pasadena to offer students access to practice space in addition to their lessons. Through its Steinway partnership, students receive complimentary access to workshops, masterclasses, and special events held by Steinway Artists. The Academy reports a 100% pass rate and a 97% average on the MTAC Certificate of Merit Exams, has been recognized as Best of Pasadena by Pasadena Weekly for six years in a row, and has been recognized by Expertise.com and Expertise Magazine as a top music school in Altadena and Pasadena.
The Academy is a member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA), and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, and it is described as an ardent supporter of the Pasadena Unified School District and local private and charter schools. Students can utilize practice rooms at the Academy if they do not have an instrument or appropriate space at home, and affordable rental instruments are available starting at $29 per month for home use. Students receive a 10% discount on all services and purchases at partner Impulse Music Co., new students receive a complimentary welcome package, and in-home lessons are offered.
Altadena Academy of Music offers a flexible make up policy where all make up classes are private lessons rather than group classes, month-to-month lessons with no semester minimums required, and access to practice space and music practice rooms. A comfortable parent's lounge with Wi‑Fi, magazines, and kids’ books is provided, and parents may sit in on their child's lesson anytime they like. All classes are temporarily held at the East Walnut location until remediation efforts are completed at the Lake Avenue facility, and moving forward, all classes are planned to be available at both locations.
Parent and student testimonials describe positive experiences with piano instructors, a nice space, many highly qualified teachers, and instructors who are patient and positive, and one testimonial notes that the school teaches all instruments and is a place where adults feel comfortable taking up an instrument later in life.
Last updated April 1, 2026.
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