Name: Me in Albuquerque playing with orchestra!
Uploaded: 2024-03-22T09:10:26.521Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: Rachmaninoff Concerto no 2

Piano

Hello! I am a prize-winning classical pianist and a Masters of Music student at Yale. Prior to Yale I studied with the gold medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Stanislav Ioudenitch, at Park University. I was raised in Russia where I went to the prep school at Moscow Conservatory.

I started teaching more than 5 years ago; most of my students have been people who had some prior experience with piano and theory, but I'm happy to start from scratch as well.

Before beginning our journey together, we will discuss your musical goals and expectations. Nothing makes me happier than to know that a student is willing to practice enough to achieve results! But if your time is limited and playing the piano or learning music theory is one of your many hobbies - that's fine too.

Although I am trained as a classical pianist, of course we can do any kind of music you like. I will make sure we are on the same page.

If you are interested in watching me play, please refer to my Youtube channel!

Me in Albuquerque playing with orchestra!

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Intermediate

Advanced

1st Prize

Grand Prize

3rd prize

Piano Teacher

English

Russian

ENJOY A FREE TRIAL LESSON!

I CAN GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO LEAP YOUR PLAYING FORWARD, AT ANY LEVEL, OR, IF YOU ARE READY, PREPARE YOU FOR A JUILLIARD AUDITION. 

I am a concert pianist currently living in Germany. I am proud to have more than 20 awards from international piano competitions. If you want to read my artistic bio and read about the awards, and hear me play, please check my website. I am originally from Russia, and for the last two years I have lived in Europe. I’m back in the states in Fall 2024.    

Here is my story: I started out as a jazz pianist but began dedicating myself to classical music around the age of 14. Two years later I was accepted to the prestigious Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory. I lived in Russia until the age of 18, and even back then I had major success in international piano competitions. I moved to the US to study with a Van Cliburn Gold medalist under a full scholarship at Park University. I later got my Master’s in piano performance at Yale University. While in the US, I played all over the country and won close to ten international piano competitions. During the past two years I have lived in Germany, where I tried to absorb as much experience as possible about the German piano tradition. I am a U.S. green card holder now.   

Here is why you should choose me over other teachers:  
- I am a concert pianist and I have direct experience with preparing for high-pressure events (concerts and competitions). I’ve played with many orchestras all over Europe, the US, and Russia. “Those who can - do, whose can’t - teach” does not apply in my case. Check my website to hear me play. I am still at the beginning of my performing career, and I am equally passionate about teaching and performance.   
- I had a late start in piano, and that gives me an advantage as a teacher because I learned how to overcome very difficult problems. I am ECSTATIC about teaching piano because I recognize in every student myself somewhere along my path. The idea that I might be saving someone ten years of wasted practice time is exhilarating to me.   
- I care deeply about every student and I will try a dozen different strategies to solve whatever problem you may encounter. Yet the problem will be solved or I will quit my job! :)  
- I am not going to pretend that I have any super-complicated methods of teaching piano, and, frankly, I don’t have much faith in them. The highest-quality instruction you can possibly get is very simple, and the key is to be able to break down any issue into small chunks and solve the problem at its root.  
- I am not a guru, and have no interest in becoming one – and insisting that my students play every piece “my” way or make my students dependent on me. I can, though, help you find your true voice on the instrument. I want you to get so good that you eventually can do away with piano lessons.  
- I will approach your development holistically. We will focus on whatever interests you, yet I will try to gently expand your horizons. I love discussing with my students various recordings and pianists. We will interject bits of music theory here and there ONLY to help you memorize the piece (if you want) or to make you understand the logic of the composition better.  
- I have been trained within the most prestigious schools in Russia (including the Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory), Germany (Frankfurt Musik Hochschule), and America (Yale University). That gives me a very broad view of piano technique, repertoire, and performance.  
- I will not give you an “amateur” treatment. I will treat you as a concert pianist with things getting in your way. It doesn’t mean, though, that I will set the bar too high and expect you to get there in one lesson. We will go one step at a time, and no problem will be left unsolved.   - I am available for lessons in person or online. If you are taking online lessons, I will implement adjustments that will compensate for the inevitable lack of emotional connection through Zoom. They can also be recorded if you like. I will ask you to send me video recordings of your playing so that we can discuss it together, and I will write for you detailed practice instructions and lesson summaries.   

Here is what you will learn with me:   
- how to approach the piece immediately, in an non intimidating way. I will show you how to learn and memorize music quickly and painlessly.  
- how to make the music make sense for your brain and to learn to think in phrases rather than individual notes.   - how not to sound mechanical and to make the piano sing. Even if you have the best technique in the world, I still don’t want you to sound like a machine gun. There are many wonderful pianists in the world, but we only want to listen to those who touch us.   
- how to interpret the music, whatever it is. Just as one example, two of my teachers are musical great grandchildren of Beethoven. We can discuss everything, including markings in the score.   
- nuanced use of the pedal. Pedal is the soul of the piano. Sometimes there is just one way to get from a good to an excellent pianist - to learn to use a half, a quarter, and vibrato pedaling. Very few students get to that level, but if you persevere, I will be delighted to talk about those high matters.  

My strategy is to teach you to practice as efficiently as possible. Most people are wasting their time practicing the instrument, then get frustrated and eventually abandon it. I will show you how to make your practicing meaningful. The goal is to make it easier and more enjoyable, not harder. I would describe my approach as hands-on, but I am willing to give students as much freedom as they choose. I often ask my students to send me a video recording of their performance so that we can track progress and discuss our goals and objectives together. I send a detailed lesson summary and practice instructions at the end of every lesson. I try to be polite but straightforward.   My job is to encourage you but also be clear about what is getting in your way. I am a perfectionist and encourage my students to push the bar as high as is possible at the moment.  Although I have experience as a jazz pianist, my formal training is as a classical pianist and I prefer to offer only classical music lessons, yet the repertoire can range from early baroque to the most recent contemporary.  

TRY A FREE TRIAL LESSON AND LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER!  

Wishing you my musical best,  Simon



Simon is fantastic! I always feel so inspired leaving the lesson every week, in large part due to the quality of the lessons Simon provides. I’ve only been working with Simon for a few months and have improved not just my technique but my overall knowledge on music theory, dynamics, and music history. And he always sends over notes after each lesson to help guide my practice. I can’t recommend him enough!!!


It was such a pleasure to work with Simon. I took lessons with him while he was living in MO, he was that kind of a guy who won't let you off the hook until you really get it. He could be very direct, but you really get a sense of accomplishment when you move to the next level as a pianist. Simon's biggest thing is technical security, but he was also pushing me musically.

Simon is a brilliant teacher who was able to break down tough concepts into sets of comprehensible steps. Highly recommend taking lessons with him!

When Simon asked me to write a review for him I was very happy to do so. I had the chance to work with Simon several years ago--I'm self taught and studying Jazz as a hobby. I needed some help with theory, and a friend of mine who loves his playing mentioned that he offers online theory lessons. I was really nervous to start studying with such a serious pianist, plus he's mostly a classical musician, but it turned out to be one of the best choices I made for my learning (alongside getting my new piano!) I took about a year of regular lessons and I left each one feeling more confident. Simon's a really cool guy too and keeps things fun! So glad he's finally advertising more, this guy is just an amazing teacher and you won't regret learning from him!!

Very talented and helpful. Would definitely recommend

Taking lessons with Simon has been so great! He's really funny and smart and he teaches me ways to practice and think about music that you can't get from most teachers. He's also basically a genius when he plays so it's really inspiring when he shows how do to stuff :D

Simon is a world-class musician with a deep intellect and effortless technique.  He has wonderful interpretive ideas and brings his full expertise of the instrument to every detail.  Students from the absolute beginner to those more advanced would benefit from his philosophy of playing.

Simon is the best teacher I’ve had so far. I wanted to learn to play some Christmas songs for my family and he adjusted to my needs perfectly. We actually had a lot of fun! He’s not an easy teacher for sure and he pushes me to be better than I thought I could be, but sometimes if I’m busy I let him know and he keeps it low key. He also infuses his lessons with some music theory. It was always boring before and it’s actually really satisfying with him! I would definitely recommend Simon to anyone looking for an inspiring experience.

I started working with Simon on Music Theory a little over a year ago. He turned out to be an amazing personality match for me— he matches the effort I give, and he never seems to get tired of explaining things, even when I feel dumb asking. He’s demanding but positive, and is an incredible musician too! It’s a joy to get to work with him. I feel like I have a much better grasp on how music works thanks to his instruction.

Fun, experienced, flexible. Not the cheapest guy out there but he is worth it.

I had piano lessons with Simon last year every week. It feels like all his energy gets invested in the student. I didn’t even know I can improve that fast! I definitely recommend, this guy is not wasting your money.

Simon has been of a tremendous help the past two years. I was a little bit scared by music theory in general and my work with him has transformed it in one of my favourite topics! Simon is a very structured teacher. Demanding but very flexible and adaptable to the students needs. 200% recommand it if you want to overcomes your fears of music theory!

Simon K.

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