Piano with Jonathan B.

My teaching draws upon thirty years of teaching experience and a lifetime of continual performing. The piano was my first love. I have been playing the piano every day since I was seven years old and I do not regret one minute I have ever spent at the keyboard. No one had to push me to practice - I could not wait to get home from school and dive into the keyboard. My progress increased rapidly and by the time I was 16 I made my debut with the San Diego Symphony playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto in C minor. I was raised in Southern California and I was fortunate to be a student of Dr. Grace Volkmann, a student of the venerable pianist Artur Schnabel. Her no-nonsense approach to musicianship and technique made my advanced study possible. I thereafter studied with Florence Stephenson, the renowned chamber music specialist of the University of Southern California. I subsequently studied with Robert Harvey, a concert pianist who was a student of the legendary Rosina Lhevinne. I had additional private lessons with Adele Marcus of the Juilliard School, and while studying at the Manhattan School of Music I performed in the master classes of both John Browning and Earl Wild. I won the Pennington International Competition, and the Ceravalo Prize for Excellence in the Performance of J.S. Bach. As a full-time working musician I am a piano soloist, accompanist, teacher, writer, organist, and choral conductor. My additional studies with Walter Baker and Dr. Paul Martin Maki provided me with a mastery of the pipe organ technique and repertoire. With maestro Thomas Schippers of the Metropolitan Opera I studied conducting. But for all my varied musical education and experience, I have always maintained the piano as the central focus of my musical development. My students are a diverse group, from children to adults of all ages. Some are experienced musicians seeking advice on technical issues as well as new perspectives of interpretation. Others are dedicated amateurs eager to develop their pianistic skills as a means of artistic fulfillment and personal growth. Feel free to contact me to discuss you interests in developing your relationship with music. I look forward to talking with you!