Education

Dr. Radina Dosseva was born in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where she began her music studies at the age of 5. She has lived and studied in different countries (Bulgaria, Libya, Nigeria, United States) with her family, where she learned about different types of music, languages, and cultures.

Dr. Dosseva holds a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Music and Sociology from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, a Master’s degree in Music Theory and Composition from East Carolina University in North Carolina, and a second Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from George Mason University in Virginia, where she studied piano with Dr. Monson, chamber music with Dr. Balakerskaia, and piano pedagogy with Dr. Haroutounian. Dr. Dosseva also received a Doctorate in Piano Pedagogy from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she studied piano with Dr. Nikita Fitenko and piano pedagogy with Dr. James Litzelman. She also holds a 150-hour Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language with specializations in Teaching Business English and Test Preparation Courses, plus an additional 40 hours of coursework in teaching English to Korean Speakers, Mandarin Speakers, Arabic Speakers, and Young Learners, all from the University of Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Dosseva is a member of SMT, SEM, CMS, HC, MTNA, VMTA, NVMTA, and BMI, and is a piano, music theory, and composition teacher in the Northern Virginia area. Furthermore, Dr. Dosseva serves on the Governing Board of the Washington International Piano Festival (WIPF), which is held every summer in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Dosseva has 14 years of extensive teaching experience, both in classroom and private settings, and she welcomes students of all ages and levels, including adult students.  She previously taught group piano and music theory to undergraduate students at ECU and CUA.  She also regularly attends educational webinars, workshops, and conferences. She teaches privately at students' homes, as well as at the following schools:

• Mason Community Arts Academy of George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
• Let's Play Music!, Falls Church, VA

In 2016, she was a recipient of the Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Scholarship for the Mason Community Arts Academy, where she currently works as a teaching artist and serves as Piano Area Coordinator. She was also a recipient of the Mason Community Arts Academy Faculty Enrichment Fund Award in 2023.

https://masonacademy.gmu.edu/faculty-enrichment-fund-awardee-dr-radina-dosseva/

In addition to private lessons, she has also taught a group class, "Building Your Musicianship Skills," on music theory and history topics, and served as Program Director and Lead Instructor for two piano camps at the Mason Community Arts Academy.

Dr. Dosseva has had several students place in the Honors Recital at the 1st (2017) and 5th (2023) Mason Community Arts Academy Biennial Music Competition in Fairfax, VA. Additionally, her composition student, Ivy Xu, won 1st prize in the middle school division of the YWCC in 2022:

https://masonacademy.gmu.edu/congratulations-ivy-xu/

Two of her piano students, Amir Nikbakht and Aayan Deshpande, were recently selected to participate in a Young Pianist Event, part of the Little City Concert series in Falls Church. The students performed in a masterclass and opened the evening concert for composer/pianist Sophia Vastek.

https://littlecityconcerts.org/lcc-young-pianist-event

In addition to teaching, playing the piano, and composing, Dr. Dosseva has also been playing prima domra (a type of mandolin) for the past 17 years, first with the American Balalaika Symphony and, currently, with the Washington Balalaika Society orchestra.