The Piano Academic Area is a growing and vibrant part of the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art. Its students seek to understand and develop as musicians by exploring challenging and varied repertoire, performing in master classes, recitals, concerts, and other venues, through collaboration with other artists, and teaching those with less experience to begin to master the instrument.

Each year, the academic area hosts various events, concerts, master classes, and recitals that showcase both the talent of students and that of guest lecturers, faculty, and master teachers.

Each summer the academi area hosts the Washington International Piano Festival, which brings together faculty from Catholic University with Joseph Banowetz, Hung-Kuan Chen, Yuri Didenko Xun Pan, Santiago Rodriguez, Susan Starr, and Nelita True for a week-long experience for young pianists. Lectures, recitals, concerts, and master classes form the core of this workshop, which culminates in a Millennium Stage performance at the Kennedy Center featuring selected participants of the program.