July 2, 2026
For Dr. Margarita Denenburg, teaching future piano educators at the Butler School of Music begins with continuing to teach children herself.
That commitment has earned Denenburg the Austin District Music Teachers Association (ADMTA) Teacher of the Year Award for the 2025–2026 school year, an honor recognizing excellence in independent piano instruction.
While Denenburg is widely known at Butler for directing the Piano Project, overseeing the school's class piano program, and preparing the next generation of piano teachers through pedagogy courses, the award celebrates a different side of her career, her private piano studio.
"I've always believed that if you're going to teach piano pedagogy, you should also be an active master teacher," Denenburg said. "Teaching children keeps me growing as an educator and ensures that what I teach my university students is grounded in real, current experience."
Margarita Denenburg and Henry Matlock (age 10) celebrate his 1st place prize.
Since joining academia in 2013, Denenburg has continued to maintain a private teaching studio alongside her university responsibilities. It is a philosophy that allows her to bring firsthand experience into the classroom while continually refining her own approach to teaching.
One of the clearest measures of a teacher's effectiveness is the success of their students, and this year Denenburg's students enjoyed an extraordinary level of achievement.
At the 2026 Ella Louise Burba Piano Contest, nearly every one of her eligible students earned top honors. Eleven-year-old Dorian Plumb-Meshulam captured first prize in the sixth-grade division, while 10-year-old Henry Matlock earned first prize in the fourth-grade division. Nine-year-old Claire Zhou received second prize in the third-grade division.
Claire Zhou (age 9) celebrates her 2nd-place win.
The accolades continued throughout the year. Dorian was also awarded second prize at the Steinway Piano Gallery Concerto Competition, and Claire earned first prize at the Austin District Music Teachers Association Solo Contest.
"Their accomplishments reflect not only their tremendous talent and hard work, but also the dedication of their families," Denenburg said. "It has been a privilege to help each of them develop as young musicians."
Margarita Denenburg and Dorian Plumb-Meshulam (age 11) celebrate his 1st place prize.
The remarkable success of her students across multiple competitions helped distinguish Denenburg among her peers and ultimately led to her selection as the Austin District Music Teachers Association's Teacher of the Year.
For Butler students studying piano pedagogy, the recognition is especially meaningful. They are learning not only from an accomplished performer and scholar, but from a teacher whose methods continue to produce award-winning young musicians.
"This recognition really belongs to my students," Denenburg said. "Watching young pianists discover what they're capable of is one of the greatest joys of being a teacher."