Janna Vidisheva Warren
COMMUNITY News:
Janna Vidisheva Warren of Los Alamos has been named the 2022 Teacher of the Year by the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico (PMTNM). She will receive her award at the organization’s state conference Nov. 11 in Clovis.
Warren is an outstanding piano teacher, active member of the Los Alamos Music Teachers Association (LAMTA), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and its affiliate Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico.
Warren began studying piano at the age of 11 in her home town, Bishkek, Kyrgystan, where she eventually received a master’s degree in piano performance from the Biskek Institute of Art. She taught privately in Bishkek and performed in recitals and chamber music concerts.
Twenty years ago, circumstances brought Warren to New Mexico where after obtaining a public school teaching credential and teaching music to kindergarteners, she was able to start her own piano studio. She continues to teach 20 or more students in locations in Los Alamos and Santa Fe.
Her students have consistently won the top prizes—District and State Honors, MTNA State Competition, Santa Fe Sonata Competition and Jackie McGehee Concerto Competition. Her students also perform publicly in the Musicale Recitals held at Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos and various Santa Fe venues.
Throughout her years of teaching in New Mexico, Warren has been a role model of mentoring and service in professional music organizations at local, district and state levels. She has been president of the Los Alamos Music Teachers Association (LAMTA) for the last six years. As a member of the LAMTA By-Laws Creation Committee, she worked to make LAMTA a local level of the national MTNA. She also has worked with local media to highlight accomplishments of piano students and their teachers.
On the state level, Warren is an active member of the PMTNM Board, serving as chairperson for PEP (Performance Evaluation Program) and working with teachers throughout the state to provide them with qualified judges for their auditions and providing all the certificates, trophies and other materials for each audition center.