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.
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.
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.
JunZhao Deng, (Ryan) received his master’s degree in piano performance from Kent State University, and his bachelor’s degree in music education from Xinghai Conservatory of Music.
JunZhao has performed in various locations in the USA and in China, including at Kent State University’s open house and the Poly Real Estate Group Company in China. He has also performed in masterclasses with great pianists such as Cahill Smith, faculty at Lee University. JunZhao has also competed in prestigious piano competitions in China such as the Hong Kong Piano Association International Piano Competition and the DeYiShuangQing Piano Competition. He was a finalist in both competitions, and the winner of the Guangzhou Golden Award in 2006 and 2008.
JunZhao has been teaching privately for 10 years. His favorite part of teaching is watching his students grow as a musician. He has experience teaching in China and in the USA, teaching at various prestigious institutions. JunZhao’s lively personality and vast of teaching experience and music knowledge makes him one of our top teachers at Manhattan Piano Academy.
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.
Maryam Arvanaghi has a Bachelors of Art degree in piano performance from Tehran Conservatory of Music under Maestro Mohammad Reza Shajarian supervision. She has about ten years of teaching experience both online and in-perosn. Although still a young and ambitious musician Maryam has both the experience and the patience to work with students of all ages.
Maryam also has been active in the field of Iranian music and started a project in collaboration with Iranian classical and traditional musicians to bring the sound of traditional instruments such as Taar, Kamancheh and others in association with Piano as a western classical instrument. Maryam has participated in many festivals and radio programs since 2012 in Europe, Turkey and Iran. In addition to playing Piano, Maryam has studied music theory, harmony, ear-training and counterpoint with Mohsen Elhamian, Marina Aghabakian, Mehran Rohani, Kiawasch Sahebnasagh and Sharif Lotfi. Maryam is currently teaching Piano to younger generations and music lovers.
We are pleased to have Maryam as part of our strong teacehr’s team at Manhattan Piano Academy starting March 2023.
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.
Jeff strives to help each individual cultivate a meaningful relationship with the piano that’s personal, enriching, and lasts for life. Drawing from 25 years of piano experience, Jeff helps his students gain a broad set of musical skills to tackle a diverse range of musical styles, while tailoring lessons to their unique goals and aspirations.
Jeff studied at the New England Conservatory’s pre-college program in Boston, MA. He continued his musical studies at Princeton University, where he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 1 with the Princeton University Orchestra and earned an AB in economics with a minor in piano performance.
Most recently, he was awarded 1st Prize and “Best Baroque” performance at the 2024 Boston International Piano Competition for Amateur Pianists, performing works by Rachmaninoff, Handel, Ravel, Kapustin, and Prokofiev (see youtube: @lostinfugue). He has performed in hundreds of concerts and is a frequent soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist around the Bay Area.
Outside of teaching and performing, Jeff works full-time as a data scientist for a video recording software product called Loom and lives with his partner and fellow pianist (Ryan) + Australian Cattle Dog (Coda) in Berkeley. We are excited to have Jeff join the Golden Key Piano School’s teaching staff!
With over 11 years of dedicated teaching experience, Tara is committed to nurturing a joyful, supportive, and creative environment where her students can explore the art of piano playing. Her approach emphasizes fostering musical expression, building confidence, and cultivating a lifelong love for music.
Originally from Serbia, she holds a degree in Piano Performance and a Master’s in Chamber Music. Her strong foundation in music theory, combined with diverse performance experiences including theater productions, recitals, accompaniment, band performances, and chamber music allowing her to bring a dynamic and well-rounded perspective to her teaching.
Beyond music, she is passionate about animal welfare and human rights, values that influence, her compassionate and inclusive teaching style. Friendly, approachable, and genuinely invested in her students’ growth, she aims to make a positive, lasting impact through music education. We officially welcome her to the Golden Key Piano School’s teaching staff!
Ina Jun is a pianist and educator specializing in solo, chamber, and collaborative performance. Certified in a few traditional piano pedagogy programs and trained in our school’s teaching method Ina taught at the Hartt Community Division’s Preparatory Program, coaching chamber music and preparing students for competitions and examinations. Her students have won major regional and national prizes. She also serves as an adjudicator and emphasizes strong technical foundations and expressive individuality.
Ina has appeared in series including Puerto Piano & Strings, Festival of New American Music, Music at Noon, Renaissance Society Concerts, Saturday Musical Club, and Pacific Institute of Music Faculty Concert. In 2021, she won the Moshe Paranov Concerto Competition at the Hartt School with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Her chamber duo was featured at the Beethoven Institute at Mannes College. She also received first prizes in the Watson and Hartt Chamber Music Competitions. As a collaborative pianist, she has worked with the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Camellia Symphony, Sacramento State Opera, and Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre.
Awards include first prizes in the Fresno Musical Club, Sekwang Piano, and Fine Arts Scholarship Competitions, along with scholarships from the Hartford Musical Club, Sacramento Saturday Musical Club, Hartt Performing Arts, and W.M. Vincent funds.
Originally from South Korea, she began piano at age four and trained at Fine Arts middle and high schools. She earned a BM (summa cum laude) from the Hartt School, MM from CSU Sacramento, and a DMA from the Hartt School under Paul Rutman. Her principal teachers include Richard Cionco, David Westfall, and Joo-yi Yoo.
She joins the collaborative piano program at The Juilliard School in Fall 2025 and we are thrilled to have her join our Manhattan Piano Academy teacher’s team starting fall 2025.
Pianist Andrew J. Wilson committed to creating a supportive and engaging environment where students of all ages can build strong technical skills, learn to express themselves musically, and develop a lifelong love of music. His teaching approach blends structure with creativity, aiming to meet each student where they are and guide them toward meaningful musical growth.
Andrew has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist in Puerto Rico, Poland, and across the United States. His wide-ranging repertoire spans from Bach and Mozart to contemporary composers, and his performance career includes winning first prize in the Kansas State University Concerto Competition and making his orchestral debut with the KSU Symphony Orchestra in 2022.
He holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance and an Advanced Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from New York University, where he also taught as an adjunct instructor in keyboard studies. Andrew is currently on faculty at both New York Piano School and Manhattan Piano Academy. He believes that teaching and performing music can transcend cultural boundaries and bring people together in meaningful ways.
We are delighted and excited to have teacher Andrew start with us at Manhattan Piano Academy in Fall 2025.
(646) 452-4449
