Bio
Southern California scholar-practitioner at the intersection of creativity, community, and cross-generational connection.
Kateri Lirio, MAT is a doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, where she researches creativity and intergenerational learning. An accomplished pianist, songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist, she brings nearly two decades of performance and teaching experience to her work at the intersection of creativity, community, and learning.
She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Longy School of Music at Bard College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry Studies from Cal Poly Pomona, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was named Outstanding Graduate. Her musical foundation was built at the Orange County School of the Arts, where she graduated Valedictorian in 2006 after completing all 10 levels of the Certificate of Merit program. She studied piano under GRAMMY-winning artist, Dr. Nadia Shpachenko, received the Paul Anka Songwriting Endowment, and has performed as a piano soloist, recording artist, and collaborative musician across Southern California and beyond.
Her classroom experience spans every stage of the learning arc — from kindergarten through older adult learners at UCI's OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute — across public and independent schools, community organizations, and nonprofit settings. She has consulted for Spotify and Soundtrap for Education, developing culturally sustaining resources for Los Angeles Unified School District students and educators. She holds a California Single Subject Credential in Music.
Kateri has presented at the YOLA National Symposium, the El Sistema USA National Symposium, the Johns Hopkins I.D.E.A.S. Conference, and Creative Neighbors on topics spanning neurodivergent learning, intergenerational programming, and building trust through songwriting. Her capstone research, "Sustaining Intergenerational Media in Music Education," was completed at Longy. She co-authored a 2025 position statement on AI integration in education for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and is a founding board member of Bridge to Everywhere.