The beginning

As a child, I had the opportunity to cultivate my interests in music and studied at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C..

My teachers/mentors at Levine, Pamela Sverjensky and Martin Labazevitch, pushed me to challenge my limits and frequently perform.

I became seriously interested in becoming a classical pianist between the age of 14 and 15 and began intensive training. I studied piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music, with Horacio Gutierrez, one of the great pianists of the century.

Dr. Labazevitch, who also attended conservatory at one point at the Manhattan School of Music, drove me to New York City in 2016 and I arrived with two suitcases and no direction.

In New York, classical music provided a powerful bond to create and make lifelong friends with people and communities of fascinating backgrounds, cultures, and extraordinary talents who experimented with and exhibited their projects in the dynamic arts scene. 

I believe music is the basis of a well-rounded education. Playing the piano nurtures critical thinking and awareness, and by applying ourselves to the study, it helps us learn how to learn, how to be aware, and how to know yourself.

Credentials and Music Achievements

- Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance - Manhattan School of Music 
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship
- Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition - Rosalyn Tureck Prize
- Puerto Rico International Piano Competition and Festival - 1st Place
- Mar-Engel Solo Competition - 1st Place
​- Cogen Concerto Competition - 1st Place
- Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition Prize winner
- Performances with the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the Piedmont Symphony
Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Manhattan School of Music Symphony
and Symphonic Chorus
- Featured on WQXR Radio (NY) and Classical WETA (Washington, D.C.)
- Gave world premiere of music composed by Hyungki-joo, Jaegone Kim, and Vasily
Ratmansky
- Steinway Educational Partner

Teaching the Next Generation

I’ve enjoyed teaching piano since I began my conservatory studies in New York City, and have helped many students prepare for different kinds of performances: juries, auditions, competitions, and exams.

I first began building my teaching experience by tutoring precollege musicians at the Manhattan School of Music and by working at an intimate music school in Brooklyn Chinatown.

​I frequently performed duets and piano concerti with my students, and they won numerous prizes in national competitions and occasionally performed at the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

It is a special feeling to hear my students perform and I’m grateful to be in a position to inspire and help others find themselves through their artistic journey.

Three pillars of my teaching philosophy:
​
1. I promote an open-dialogue environment by encouraging conversation when I teach. In one-on-one lessons, I believe students should collaborate and participate in the dialogue.

Learning and progress should be a mutual goal.

2. I focus on efficiency. I strive to convey ideas and solve problems as simply and constructively as I can.

​3. I strongly encourage beginning students to perform and to become acquainted with music theory (e.g. basic musical terminology, note-reading ability, understanding of form).

As the students advance to more difficult repertoire, lessons tend to focus on historic and stylistic context, proper and economic technique, and interpretation of the music.

Outside of music

I have been playing Go, an ancient Chinese board game, since I was a kid.

My peak rating (before attending high school) is 3 dan in the US. You can find me at a tournament and attending the local meetups.

I also enjoy playing tennis, although I’m no good.

​Please let me know if you have tickets to watch Kyrgios play. Thank you.