How to find a piano teacher in New York City

[omccreary]

I'm in New York City, and looking for a piano teacher. I was a serious amateur pianist in my younger years, but have not studied or practiced seriously for many years.

I'm inclined to find a teacher who teaches at a music school (Mannes, Juilliard, Manhattan School), who also gives private lessons.

The difficulty is: how to choose. It's easy to find a list of a hundred teachers, but in the end, I have to choose only one. There are many teachers listed on the music schools' websites, and they all have a bio. In many cases their names show up on Google, but not in a way which provides much information on how they are as teachers. There's typically no information which indicates their personal style, or how their students like them.

Any suggestions on how to go about finding a teacher? Should I try them, more or less at random, one after the other, until I find someone I like? Or is there a better approach? Are there any sources of information that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[iansinclair]

The only way I can think of in New York -- where there are thousands of piano teachers! -- is word of mouth.  Do you know someone whose playing you like?  Ask if they have a teacher and if so, who.  I would not rely on on-line reviews.  You could also check the bulletin boards at the various conservatories -- you may find someone offering lessons.  Not necessarily a faculty member!

[louispodesta]

I'm in New York City, and looking for a piano teacher. I was a serious amateur pianist in my younger years, but have not studied or practiced seriously for many years.

I'm inclined to find a teacher who teaches at a music school (Mannes, Juilliard, Manhattan School), who also gives private lessons.

The difficulty is: how to choose. It's easy to find a list of a hundred teachers, but in the end, I have to choose only one. There are many teachers listed on the music schools' websites, and they all have a bio. In many cases their names show up on Google, but not in a way which provides much information on how they are as teachers. There's typically no information which indicates their personal style, or how their students like them.

Any suggestions on how to go about finding a teacher? Should I try them, more or less at random, one after the other, until I find someone I like? Or is there a better approach? Are there any sources of information that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Do you, or are you familiar with the Taubman technique, now taught by Edna Golandsky?  If so, or if not, I can help you, in regards a teacher in New York.

The chair of the piano/keyboard department at Juilliard brags about the fact that she is a former student of Dorothy Taubman and so does a man by the name of Leon Fleisher.

Please respond by PM.  Thanks.

[ruvidoetostinato]

It's usually by word of mouth.

So in that case...

I've heard Nina Lelchuk's studio, and her students perform really well.  She has a focus on technique... every facet of it... painstakingly so.  A friend of mine studied with her after his move to New York and his improvement was phenomenal.  His technique went under a complete overhaul and he's able to convey his music much, much more clearly.  She's a professor at Queen's College.

[omccreary]

Thanks.

Nina Lelchuk gets very mixed grades on RateMyProfessors - https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=1835070

[ruvidoetostinato]

Yes. I think the biggest thing about her is what one rater said "my way or the highway."  Very harsh teaching and highly critical.  If you can join festivals, she does international keyboard institute that takes place around June I think.  Great way to get two birds with one stone.

[evang42]

I live in California, and have studied with many fine teachers over the last 25 years or so both here and in Boston.  If I lived in New York, I would absolutely study with Max Barros (I really wish I could).  He's a wonderful Brazilian Pianist, and a magnificent teacher. I take lessons from him occasionally when I'm in town.  If you haven't found someone already, give him a try.  I know a couple of his students quite well, and they can't speak highly enough of him.

[siveron]

Honestly, I don't think you should get a teacher. You can learn just as easily from watching online tutorials.

[lostinidlewonder]

Online tutorials are useless IMO, studying piano online has got to be one of the most cumbersome and confusing approaches. Choosing the "best" teacher in town is not even important unless you have actually been through a few teachers. How can you tell if they are any good if you have nothing to compare to? You will know your teacher is good if you find you are learning your music faster and in a much more structured manner, bad teachers simply talk about finger numbers and notes and volume/tempo but go little further than that.

[chopinlover01]

Honestly, I don't think you should get a teacher. You can learn just as easily from watching online tutorials.

Not true.
Online tutorials can't give you instant feedback about your technique and musicality; not to mention the lack of good online tutorials anyhow.
That you would say that seems to show that you don't know wha you're talking about.

[isaach]

Just spit