About the Instructor:

M Institute for the Arts was founded by lyric soprano, philanthropist, and businesswoman, Susanna Barasch. It opened its doors in 2015 in Georgetown, Washington, DC, and has been providing meaningful and creative artistic ventures and services ever since.

Ms. Barasch has performed throughout the United States and Italy as a professional operatic soprano before pursing her larger passion to not only be on the stage, but to be behind the creation of great art on all levels. Her most influential artistic mentors include Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, Virginia Zeani, and Tzvetan Konstantinov.

Since starting M Institute, she has organized, with the help of amazing committees and volunteers, hundreds of instrument donations, student grants, dozens of music-centric events and music salons and fundraisers, free music classes, as well as over 20 recitals. In 2020, Ms. Barasch and her team were on the front lines of online lessons and experiences for the music community, including a weekly livestream recital series and several online classes per week. In the Summer of 2020, she lead a very talented team of singers who created the "New Era Voice Festival," with celebrity hosts from around the world including Angel Blue, Capucine Chiaudani, Lori Laitman, and Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. In the Summer of 2021, she founded the Young Artist Program with four talented vocalists and pianists.

Ms. Barasch also enjoys philanthropy and has been involved with many non-profits and causes, including Hillwood House & Museum, the American Heart Association's Palm Beach Heart Ball, the oldest gala in Palm Beach, the Junior League, where she was named to 2011 Fundraiser of the Year, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At the age of 25, she was named Executive Director of a county political party in South Florida. She also served as a founding board member of the The International Master Institute of Music "Leopold Godowsky."


In addition, Ms. Barasch enjoys teaching classical voice, with many students placing with high honors at the Royal College of Music's ABRSM exams. She also enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing with Mixie the Pomeranian at her homes in Virginia and Florida.