In 2026, sdpa students took all three top spots in the Under-18 division at the MTAC Southern Regional, the largest competition stage in Southern California.
2026 Chopin Festival, SDPA faculty and their students won 17 of the 35 prizes.
Chetan Tierra breaks down his SMART practicing system and shows how the metronome, used the right way, can turn slow, patient repetition into fast, lasting technical growth. Learn the method behind his own path from a Juilliard rejection to the Van Cliburn Competition, including the "advanced metronome work" that helped him conquer one of the hardest pieces of his career.
