regarding piano professors from UBC

[diabola]

Hello,

does anyone from this forum knows which University of British Columbia piano professors are good? What are their teaching methods like? I already read their biography/info on the UBC website, but I was wondering if there is any insider details one what they are truly like?


Thank you in advance

diabola

[franzliszt2]

Best thing to do is to go and have a lesson of the few of them, and then decide. Don't rely on the opinions of others, a very good teacher will be different for different students.

Always play something you are comfortable playing in the first lesson, so that you can get a better idea of the teaching. If you play something that isn't polished, the will probably all say the same things.

[diabola]

thank you for replying~
so it is possible to arrange a lesson with the professors even thou I am not admitted into this university yet?

[birba]

You go for a private lesson at their house. 

[franzliszt2]

Just get in touch with them, and ask for a lesson. Say you are auditioning at the university and want to have some lessons before. I think it is more common to get accepted first, and then have lessons with the teachers though.

[Alde]

I would recommend the following two teachers:

Jane Coop is wonderful.  I had the opportunity to play for her in a masterclass.  She is a phenomenal musician and yet is communicative and not arrogant.

Robert Silverman is a great pianist although I don't know much about his teaching.  This pianist has a huge repertoire.

Good luck.  UBC is one of the top music schools in Canada.

[birba]

I heard some strange things about Mr. Silverman's teaching.
But he loves the girls! 

[michel dvorsky]

Sara Buechner is my teacher's teacher.  She's an exceptional pianist and teacher, by his accounts.

Btw, UBC is in a terrible financial situation.  They lost a good chunk of their endowment in the markets during the financial crisis and they aren't in the position to offer new students any explicit funding conditional on acceptance into the programs.  This is based on my experience having applied (and been accepted to) the graduate economics program.  I'm not sure how the situation is in the music department though.  I suspect it's not that much better though.

[Bob]

They might accept more students if they need money.  More students = more money for the department.