In March 2025, Middlesex Community College’s Chair of Music Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta completed a residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Rodríguez-Peralta was sponsored by Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music and the university’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx studies to be in residence during MCC’s spring break. On March 21, she performed a concert as part of the residency with cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi and flutist Molly Barth.

“It was particularly exciting to be able to perform two works by the acclaimed Mexican composer Samuel Zyman, my classmate years ago at Juilliard,” Rodríguez-Peralta said. “Samuel’s music is so colorful and dramatic, and it was wonderful to be able to gain input from the composer in the rehearsals we had prior to the culminating concert. Of course, it was lovely to collaborate with two exceptional musicians, Molly Barth and Jesús Castro-Balbi. The Blair School of Music was very welcoming, and I very much enjoyed being there.”

During the residency, Rodríguez-Peralta had the opportunity to coach a student piano duo preparing the piece “La Valse” by Ravel. She also met with students in a composition seminar, performing “Suite de la Mancha” by Zyman, a member of Vanderbilt’s faculty who helped arrange the residency.

Before the concert, Rodríguez-Peralta also participated in a panel discussion. Sponsored by Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin America, Caribbean and Latinx Studies, she had the opportunity to answer questions about the performance.

“As a classical pianist of Latin American descent, I think it is very important to perform works by Latin American composers,” Rodríguez-Peralta said. “There is such a wealth of fabulous music by these composers, which is not performed as often as it should be.

A professor at Middlesex for over 30 years, Rodríguez-Peralta created the college’s “A World of Music” concert series in 2001 to highlight a variety of forms of music. The concerts offer the community a mix of classical, world, jazz and folk music from faculty, student, alumni and guest artists in both Bedford and Lowell for free.

Rodríguez-Peralta began piano lessons at 7-years-old as an extracurricular activity. In her senior year of high school, she decided to pursue music as a college major and went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Temple University in Philadelphia. She continued for a year-long Master of Music at Catholic University in Washington D.C. before attending The Juilliard School in New York for a post-graduate diploma. In addition to her time as a student, she worked as a teaching fellow and staff pianist at Juilliard.

“I am fortunate to have studied with three wonderful piano professors – Maryan Filar, Ney Selgado and Beveridge Webster,” Rodríguez-Peralta said. “These noted pianists each had a very different approach to their art, but they conveyed their love of music through their teaching and performing. They continue to inspire me.”

In the Fall 2025 semester, Rodríguez-Peralta will teach Music Appreciation, Applied Piano for Beginners courses, and independent studies – private instruction for advanced students in piano. She looks forward to working with MCC’s music faculty to expand course offerings to students across majors, as well as continuing to collaborate with colleagues on the “A World of Music” concert series. This includes a faculty concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 7 in MCC’s Concert Hall in Bedford.

“I am grateful to work with such wonderful colleagues who share my joy of teaching and sharing music with any student who wishes to take a music class,” she said. “We are also thrilled that our music majors are transferring to Bachelor of Music programs. I am very proud that many MCC music alumni are active musicians and teachers, and others are currently students at wonderful university music schools and conservatories across the country.”