Piano Lessons in Manhattan
“… talented teachers make students love the music…” — A. Artobolevskaya
Our piano teachers in Manhattan NY are willing to share their joy and appreciation of the great musical works with students.
JunZhao Deng (Ryan) is an experienced piano educator and performer with more than 10 years of private teaching experience in China and the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Kent State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Xinghai Conservatory of Music.
Ryan has taught students of different ages and levels at established music institutions as well as through private instruction. He enjoys helping students develop their musical skills, confidence, and appreciation for music.
As a performer, Ryan has appeared at venues and events in both the United States and China, including Kent State University events and events hosted by Poly Real Estate Group Company in China. He has also participated in master classes with accomplished pianists, including Cahill Smith of Lee University.
Ryan was a finalist in both the Hong Kong Piano Association International Piano Competition and the DeYiShuangQing Piano Competition and received the Guangzhou Golden Award in 2006 and 2008.
Ryan teaches students from beginner through advanced levels and specializes in piano performance, music education, technique, musicianship, and student development. He teaches classical piano and a broad range of piano repertoire.
Ryan speaks English and Chinese
Maryam is a classically trained pianist and experienced piano teacher with 20 years of teaching experience. She holds a Conservatory degree in Classical Piano Performance and has studied classical piano since the age of eight.
She has performed in Tehran, Germany, Poland, and New York City and brings extensive experience working with students of different ages and learning needs.
Maryam teaches students ages 4 and up, from beginners through intermediate level. Her teaching focuses on classical piano and is adapted to each student’s age, level, and individual learning needs. She enjoys working with both children and adults and takes a flexible, supportive approach to helping students develop their musical skills.
Maryam speaks English and Persian.
Andrew J. Wilson is a classically trained pianist, organist, and experienced piano educator with extensive training in piano performance, piano pedagogy, chamber music, collaborative piano, music theory, and contemporary repertoire.
He holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and an Advanced Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from New York University, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Kansas State University.
Andrew has taught students of all ages and levels, from young children to university students and adults. He is a former Adjunct Faculty member in Keyboard Studies at New York University, where he taught private piano lessons and group keyboard courses. He currently teaches at Manhattan Piano Academy and Third Street Music School Settlement and maintains an active private teaching studio in New York City.
His teaching includes classical, contemporary, jazz, popular, and sacred music. His areas of expertise include piano technique, music theory and musicianship, performance preparation, piano pedagogy, and individualized instruction.
As a performer, Andrew has been a First Prize winner of the Kansas State University Concerto Competition and appeared as a soloist with the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra. He also performed in the North American premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas’s 11,000 Strings at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
Andrew has been a Steinway & Sons Teacher & Educational Partner since 2024.
Andrew speaks English.
Lianhua C. is an accomplished classical pianist and experienced piano educator with more than 15 years of teaching experience. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance from Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany, where she studied on a full scholarship, as well as a Master of Music degree from the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College in New York City.
Lianhua began studying piano at age four in China and was accepted into the Music University of YanBian at age seven, where she studied with Prof. Tianyi Zheng. She later continued her studies with Prof. Georg Friedrich Schenck in Germany and Dr. Adam Kent in New York City. She has also participated in master classes with renowned pianists Hans Leygraf and André Watts.
Since 2010, Lianhua has taught students privately and at various music schools. She works with students ages 6 and up, from complete beginners through advanced pianists, including teenagers and adults. Her teaching focuses on classical piano repertoire, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century music.
Her students have received top prizes in international competitions, including the Golden Classical International Music Competition and American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition, and several have made their Carnegie Hall debuts. She specializes in competition preparation, performance coaching, and collaborative piano.
As a performer, Lianhua has appeared throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her performance highlights include a solo recital at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, performing Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Robert Schumann Hochschule Orchestra at Düsseldorf Tonhalle, and performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Brooklyn College Conservatory Orchestra after winning the 2010 Brooklyn College Conservatory Concerto Competition. She has also served as an official accompanist at Carnegie Hall.
Lianhua speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.
Alejandra Williams-Maneri is a passionate and dedicated pianist and educator. She has been studying piano for 19 years and is trained in both jazz and classical piano. Graduating with a degree in Jazz Piano Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, Alejandra was the recipient of the Conservatory Dean Scholarship and John F. Oberlin Scholarship Awards for the duration of her undergraduate experience. Since graduating from Oberlin, Alejandra has been working as a professional pianist in New York City while also pursuing her passion for teaching. Throughout her career, Alejandra has performed with music greats such as Avery Sharpe, Don Braden, Steve Johns, and Becca Stevens, and has been involved in multiple recording projects including those led by Grammy Award winning producer, Jay Ashby.
Alejandra has been teaching piano for 9 years, working with students ages 5 to 45, from beginner level to advanced. We are pleased to have Alejandra as a great addition to our teacher’s team at Manhattan Piano Academy Starting October 2022.
Christopher Richardson has received top prizes in numerous national and international piano competitions, including First Prize at the 2021 LA International Liszt Competition Budapest Division as well as First Prize and Best Chopin Prize at the 2016 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition. He most recently has won Second Prize at the 2022 Virginia Waring International Piano Competition Concerto Division and Third Prize at the 2022 Young Artist MTNA Competition. Throughout his career, he has performed in several notable venues across the United States, including the Liszt Museum in Budapest, the 2000-seat Music Tent in Aspen, Weill Hall Carnegie Hall, Finney Chapel, McCallum Theater, and Benaroya Hall. He has also performed with numerous orchestras, including the Minnesota Orchestra twice. Additionally, he has appeared on NPR’s “From the Top,” TV program PIE on KCTS 9, and King FM 98.1. In 2015, he presented at the TEDYouth@Redmond Conference in Washington, and in 2019 he released his debut album, titled Wizard of Oz.
Christopher is an active music educator, having served as faculty at the Golden Key Piano School in Berkeley since 2019. His students have received top marks on Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, and have performed in various concerts and fundraisers. They describe him as a very patient and encouraging teacher with great attention to technique and musicality.
Christopher graduated with honors at the University of California Berkeley, earning Bachelor’s degrees in Molecular/Cell Biology, Economics, and Music. During this time, he also served as the blog writer of the Steinway Society of the Bay Area, where he gave his thoughts on various aspects of classical music and performance. Christopher earned his Masters in Music at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music under renowned pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane. His previous major teachers include Mack McCray, Duane Hulbert, Craig Sheppard, Frederick Weldy, William Wellborn, and Robert Schwartz. Christopher is currently attending the MBA program at Cornell University.
A graduate of the prestigious Gnessin School of Music in Moscow, Katrin has been passionately training music teachers in what is the creme de la creme of Russian methods and working one on one with parents and students for more than two decades. She serves as the artistic director and head teacher at Golden Key Piano School in Berkeley, est. 2003, and established its sister location in New York, Manhattan Piano Academy, in 2020.
Katrin is the author of A Thousand Stories for a Little Pianist and the series My First Piano Book. She has translated Anna Artobolevskaya’s First Meet with the Music and Heinrich Neuhaus’ The Art of Piano Playing from Russian to Farsi. She has lectured on the Russian method and specifically Artobolevskya’s method abroad and at various universities in the US including the University of Oregon and Ohio University School of Music. Most recently Katrin delivered a well-received presentation at the Music Teachers Association Of California Conference in San Diego.
Her very first students are now professional pianists having graduated from leading music universities in Austria and Armenia.
Katrin won the Influential Businesswoman Awards in 2020, and has been named Most Inspirational Woman in Music Education (Northern California) by Acquisition International. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Painting from Azad University in Tehran.
Stella is a passionate and considerate teacher and extraordinarily talented in piano education. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Hanse University in South Korea. She studied piano under the guidance of Soeun Lee and Igaki Hideyuki, famous pianists in South Korea. She has given several concerts: disciple recitals, master classes, collaboration with orchestras, etc.
Since graduation, she has been focusing on teaching students to play the piano. Stella has over 10 years of experience teaching piano. She has worked with students of all ages and levels and loves incorporating fun games and activities into lessons. She also holds a piano adventure certificate. Before she came to the bay area in 2022, she operated her music academy for six years (2015-2021). Her piano class was recognized for her students winning in the major-regional music competitions in South Korea.
Clara Nguyen is a pianist and dedicated music educator currently pursuing her Master of Music in Piano Performance with scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music where she studies with pianist William Wolfram. She graduated magna cum laude from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, studying under Dr. Shun-Lin Chou.
With five years of teaching experience, Clara is passionate about helping young musicians develop confidence, discipline, and a lifelong love of music. She has worked with beginner children from as young as five up to college-aged students working on advanced repertoire. Music is a lifelong gift that Clara believes everyone should have the opportunity to study. Clara is an enthusiastic and genuine teacher who works especially well with young students. She takes pride in the fact that her students stay engaged, motivated, and are excited to practice.
Originally based in California, she has entered her students in auditions such as the National Piano Guild Auditions, and local festivals and competitions in Southern California, such as the MTAC Theme Festival, where her students have been winners.
As a performer, Clara has appeared frequently as both a soloist and collaborative pianist. She has performed in concerts with violin, viola, cello, and voice. She was the winner of the Bob Cole Conservatory Concerto Competition and performed Totentanz with the Bob Cole Symphony Orchestra in 2025. Her musical studies have also taken her to the Eastern Music Festival in 2024 and to Szczecin, Poland in 2025, where she studied with acclaimed pianist Nikolai Demidenko.
Aside from her dedication to music, Clara has a fascination for all animals, loves to try new foods, and enjoys traveling. She is bilingual, speaking both English and Vietnamese well.
(646) 452-4449
