Robert Pace has been a leader in music education for over 40 years, as performer, teacher and author. His theories on music instruction, which stress the development of each student's musical literacy and creativity, have had a major impact on music teaching both in the United States and abroad. As an undergraduate at Juilliard School of Music, Dr. Pace studied with the famed Josef and Rosina Lhevinne. Subsequently, he earned a master's and doctoral degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. He first taught at Juilliard before becoming head of piano instruction at Teachers College in 1952, where he became Chairman of the Music Department in 1969.

Dr. Pace has also served as piano editor of Music Journal, as National Piano Chairman of the Music Educators National Conference, and was Educational Director of the National Piano Foundation from its inception in 1963, until 1977, when he became Executive Director of the International Piano Teaching Foundation. He was a member of the original four-member committee appointed by President John F. Kennedy to make study of music in the United States. Dr. Pace's books have been translated into seven different languages, and are widely used throughout the world.