Our Team.
Welcome to the extraordinary world of music, where the keys to your musical journey are in the talented hands of our dedicated piano teachers at Heidi's Piano Studio. Each of our instructors brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to guide you on a harmonious path to musical mastery. Explore, learn, and embark on a melodious adventure with us!
About Ms. Heidi
Meet Heidi, a dedicated pianist and educator originally from Dalian, China. Heidi's musical journey began at the age of six, leading her to pursue piano studies at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music (SYCM) Middle School. Alongside her piano performance training, Heidi's passion for composition flourished.
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Heidi received her Bachelor's degree in Theory and Composition from SYCM, studying under the esteemed Professor Shenglin Jiang. She continued her academic journey, earning a Master's degree in Theory and Composition at Long Island University, under the guidance of Professor Carl Strommen. Her commitment to music extended to her piano studies, where she honed her skills with Professor Stephanie Watt and excelled as a pianist in chamber music classes with Professor Sharon Moe. Her exceptional piano performance was acknowledged with the Best Piano Performance award upon graduation.
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With 15 years of teaching experience both China and New York, Heidi specializes in teaching piano and music theory. Her unique approach allows students to grasp the fundamentals while enjoying their musical journey. Heidi has a remarkable track record of preparing students for ABRSM and NYSSMA exams, boasting a 100% pass rate. Her dedication to tailoring lessons to individual students' needs and fostering open communication underscores her commitment to student success.
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As a teacher, Heidi's primary goal is to inspire her students to understand and appreciate music. She strives to instill in them a deep understanding of different music periods, musical forms, and theory. Heidi believes that when students truly comprehend a piece of music, their enjoyment and appreciation soar, motivating them to pursue their own musical ideas and approaches to the piano. Join Heidi on a musical journey that transcends learning to true understanding and love for music.
About Mr. Georgii
A pianist, performer, producer, and songwriter.
Originally from Tula, Russia, he started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 accompanying them with an intense course in music theory, music history, and chamber ensembles. After two years of music education, Georgii started participating in piano competitions, achieving laureate prizes which helped him to transfer to a music school under the management of Tula Dargomyzhsky Art College. There, he became a member of a piano duo which allowed him to travel and perform around the country, winning multiple competitions. At the age of 15, Georgii Zaitsev got accepted to Tula Dargomyzhsky Art College where he continued pursuing a Piano Performance degree, winning solo competitions, and accompanying soloists and choirs in different venues.
In 2018 Georgii got an offer to study Piano Performance at Southern Adventist University, Chattanooga, TN. Upon moving to the United States, he enhanced his accompanying practice by being a musician at different churches around Georgia and Tennessee; and by touring with choirs across the country. Throughout his years at SAU he was honored to study with Dr. Peter Cooper, taking a part in many different concerts, festivals, and competitions. Georgii’s biggest achievements to date are becoming a winner of the national Concerto Concert competition which allowed him to perform E. Grieg’s A minor Concerto with the symphony orchestra and having his Senior Recital sold out in person and streamed from across the world.
Georgii Zaitsev has 6 years of experience in teaching piano and music theory. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance in 2021, he moved to New York to continue his teaching practice there. In 2022 Georgii became an official Steinway Educational Partner which further advanced his teaching career. Georgii has a unique approach to every student, depending on the level of practice, the age of a student, and their goals. Georgii guides his students through the world of music, helping to find their passions and making the process of learning not only resultative but enjoyable as well.
About Ms. Esther
An opera singer, violinist and pianist hailing from Minnesota, Ms. Esther is a multi-talented musician who brings a passion for teaching to all of her students. She began taking piano and violin lessons at the age of six, and during those younger years performed in many competitions and masterclasses across the state. During her time as both a violinist and pianist, she attended the BRAVO! Institute for Strings and Piano in Minneapolis, MN. There, she participated in masterclasses and chamber groups, studying with some of the best musicians in the country and performing as both a pianist and violinist. As a young pianist, she studied with Alexander Braginsky and Tanya Spector. She later graduated with honors, earning a BM Violin Performance degree from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with renowned pedagogue Sally O’Reilly. As part of her degree, Ms. Esther performed on numerous recitals, was an avid chamber musician, and also performed the regional premiere of “Ladder to the Moon” by Michael Daugherty, garnering much acclaim from the composer.
After finishing her degree in violin performance, Ms. Esther decided to continue her musical studies as an opera singer. Hailed as singing in “…pure tones, with vivacious humor” for her portrayal of the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, she has performed in many training programs across the United State and Europe, honing her skills as a singer. Known as a compelling performer both on the operatic stage as well as in concert, recent highlights include performing an art song recital as a guest artist at Carnegie Mellon University and performing in Dialogues des Carmélites while a young artist at the Savannah Music Festival. Other highlights include making her debut as Yvette in Puccini’s La Rondine at the Miami Music Festival, and performing as a featured artist at the Opera Naples Academy. Previous seasons include Sister 1 in Jake Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking (MMF), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Twin Cities Fringe Opera), Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos (Twin Cities Fringe Opera), and covering Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Miami Music Festival). In addition to this, she has also trained as a Young Artist at SongFest in Los Angeles, and been awarded an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Council Auditions.
As a teacher, Ms. Esther believes in providing an encouraging environment to all her students. She focuses on creating an individualized lesson for each student, helping them develop a solid technical foundation as well as an overall appreciation for music. She believes the more a student understands music and how to approach new material, the more they will enjoy the process of learning. This, in turn, helps the student stay motivated and build confidence, regardless of their level.
About Mr. Jacob
Hello! My name is Jacob Gehlbach, and I’m a musician and multimedia artist. I’ve been playing piano for 15 years since I was 5. I also compose, produce, and write my own music, and I enjoy graphic design and photography. I study music composition at NYU, and I love being able to share music with people.
Ms. Reina
A pianist and violinist from Queens, New York that graduated from BMCC with her Associates in Music Performance for violin. Currently she goes to Lehman College to study Music Performance for violin working towards getting her Bachelors Degree while continuing her piano studies on the side. She started piano at the age of six years old and continued on for more than 10 years. From the past till the present, Reina has performed at various different venues around New York such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Roulette, The FireHouse Space and other venues around in New York City. She has performed with the Richmond County Orchestra, Bergen Symphony Orchestra, New Britain Symphony Orchestra, and other Chamber Music Groups at college and outside of college with other colleagues plus other network connections made from other musicians and artists that play different instruments and also focuses on educating the youth on classical music piano or violin. Reina mainly studies classical music on piano from performing composers such as Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven are a couple of examples of composers that she is working on towards performing these types of works at other concerts to perform all around in New York City. While Reina continues to study classical music, she also expressed an interest in doing improvisation on violin and piano. She started learning how to improvise around during high school while continuing her studies of doing classical music. By the countless number of hours she would put to practice her instruments and also found many opportunities to perform with people whether it was during the school semester or outside of school. During her free time, Reina also plays piano, flute, and percussion off the side, and reading books.