Being born and brought up in the family of educators, Lana Tchernaia also followed the noble profession of teaching. She is the third generation teacher following her grandfather Yuri I. Tchernyi (1900-1985), and aunts Tatiana Y.Tchernaia (1941-), and Lana Y.Tchernaia (1931-).
Lana hails from Siberia, Tomsk region (Russia). She received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Tomsk Music College, Russia. She studied ensemble, and chamber music with Svetlana Anatolievna Chudakova, harmony with Vera Dmitrievna Sherina, and music history with Larissa Borisovna Gorn. Post-bachelor studies include Tomsk State University, music and philology.
She had the great privilege of taking a sight-reading course with world renowned performer and music educator Andrew Markow, head designer of the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum, and co-author of the Four Star Sightreading Books. Vera Leinverbers also was among Lana's canadian coaches.
Lana has been committed to the important role of independent piano studios. She has maintained independent teaching studios in Tomsk, Russia; Montreal, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario collectively for more than 25 years.
Throughout her career, Lana’s teaching combines the tradition of the Russian piano school with her own developed pedagogy approach and practice techniques. Her students continuously receive recognition for professionalism and high level of performance.
He understands the necessity for different people to learn different things to keep the interest going. Positive, enthusiastic and full of skills and knowledge.
Oliver started his piano studies with Rhuza Schochmannova of the Conservatory Arrigo Boito in Parma, Italy. He later moved to Toronto and completed his ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance, studying with Peter Longworth. He was awarded the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Gold Medal for Grade 10 Piano in 2014, and placed second in his age category at the 2016 Canadian Music Competition national finals with a performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto no. 1. He later completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at University of Toronto in 2022, studying with Prof. Enrico Elisi. He plays classical repertoire at venues around Toronto, and has given concerts in Italy and Central Asia. Awards: National Finalist at the Canadian Music Competition, 2014, 2016 and 2019, Second Place in 2016 for Grieg’s Piano Concerto
Gold Medal for Piano Grade 10 at the Royal Conservatory of Music (2014)
Suzanne is a piano teacher with training and certification of Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Vietnam. With almost 30 years of teaching experience in Canada she prepared hundreds of students for conservatories exams and GTA competitions. These rewards are a direct result of understanding children’s educational needs.
She is very discipline, reliable and committed when working with children. This is complimented by her knowledge of playing violin and singing. Suzanne firmly believes that the most important quality that a teacher should have is patience and at the same time a great teacher should have set high expectations and work to raise the bar for their students.
Miguel’s impressive list of degrees include:
● University of Toronto. Master of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance, 2018
● University of British Columbia. Master of Music in Piano Performance. 2012
● Rotterdam Conservatory of Music, The Netherlands. Advanced Classical Music Diploma in Piano. 2005
● University of Houston, Texas, USA: Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Cum Laude. 2001
● Trinity College of Music, London, England: Performer’s Certificate Examination. 1998
He has been teaching piano for the last 9 years both privately and at various music schools and is highly qualified to teach students from as young as 4 to any age on all RCM levels.
To teach a student to become a musician, Miguel constantly strives to cultivate excellence in everything that’s done in piano lessons and teaches the concepts needed to be a sensitive musician; the proper balance between melody and accompaniment, accurate reading of notes and rhythms, and proper fingering for the best musical sound followed by ease of execution.
He believes another area we want our students to excel at is reading. The ability to read music quickly and effectively will help the student learn music on their own, furthering and maintaining their enjoyment and ability to play music even after lessons have stopped.
Good technique is also a point of emphasis so that the possibility of struggles with a piece due to technical deficiency will lessen in the future.
Claudette has been playing piano for over 17 years. She is currently finishing her last year of her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Music at York University. During her time at York University, she studied classical piano closely with Christina Quilico, Shoshana Telner, Katherine Dowling, and Raisa Nakhmanovich. Claudette has put on a solo recital under Katherine Dowling’s instruction. Claudette also completed a course called “Piano Pedagogy and Literature”, which is a course about the instruction teaching on one on one piano lessons, and finished the course with an A+ grade.
Claudette has also received an A+ grade in a course entitled “Vocal Music Education”, covering concepts of vocal pedagogy to young students. Apart from piano performance at York University, Claudette also took courses relating to Gospel music, education, vocal music, history and music theory. Claudette has been a part of York University's Gospel Choir for the past four years under the instruction of Karen Burke, Nicole Sinclair-Anderson and Nathalie Stewart. During the 2022-2023 school year, Claudette was a part of the choir’s leadership team, helping Nicole Sinclair- Anderson run the course, lead sectionals and lead choir warm ups. YUGC has had many performances including some in the Canadian Opera Centre, several local Churches, and several Black History Month performances.
Claudette has been teaching music lessons for over five years. She teaches students of various ages and levels. Claudette is familiar with teaching classical, contemporary, and pop music. She teaches students through sheet music, by ear and by rote. She was also able to run a 12 week workshop with her local Church, for beginner singers to engage in Christian Contemporary music.
Claudette is her local Church’s main pianist, and a backup singer on their Worship team/ band. Her Worship team/ band sings Christian Contemporary Music, Gospel pop, and Gospel rap.
Dr. Yu-Cheng offers proven specializations in Bassoon, Piano, Chamber Music, and Theory with experience in multi-level instruction, lesson planning, and curriculum design and development, as well as the implementation of innovative learning methodologies to translate complex musical concepts into easy, accessible instruction.
Consistently achieving stellar results due to her knowledge of individualized and group teaching practices she is well-versed in parent/guardian relations, conflict resolution, and communications while continually promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within an instructional setting.
To complement this experience, she completed Bachelor of Music from University of Taipei, attained a Master of Music from Mannes School of Music, The New School, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Bassoon Performance from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Art.
Patrick is a rising star in the Toronto Jazz scene whose energetic, virtuosic playing captivates and moves his audiences. Drawing on the vast vocabulary of the legendary jazz pianists who came before him he adds his own spirit and passion to create a unique sound and style. Studying under the tutelage of legendary pianists such as Mark Eisenman, Brian Dickinson, Richard Whiteman, Robi Botos, and Hilario Duran it’s no secret where Patrick developed his unique, high-octane style that clearly adheres to the art forms tradition. Patrick began studying classical piano at the age of four and was later introduced to the saxophone where he developed a great love for jazz. His education includes York University and Humber College and he is a recipient of the Berklee World Tour Scholarship for both sax and piano.
Performances include many venues in Toronto and throughout the globe with such artists as: Ron Westray,
To play or not to play is out of the question:
Whether ‘tis ok for the mind to suffer
The inability to improvise and use one’s ear,
Or to take arms against a sea of notes,
And by the mental effort play them?
Lana and William
The Virtuoso By: Una V.
©2012
The last note has been played,
By me, “The Virtuoso”.
Every last,
Beat,
Rest,
Chord,
Has been practiced at least a thousand times.
And yet,
Every time I walk into the
Cold,
Dark,
Room,
I feel like a beginner again.
A different examiner every time,
But they’re all equally terrifying.
Did I make an impression?
Did they like me?
It doesn’t matter,
They can’t play my thoughts like a song,
So they just keep on typing.
Click,
Click,
Click.
I sit on the bench,
Hands sweaty, yet freezing.
And my heart keeps beating,
To the beat of the metronome.
My parents are in the same building,
But they’re sitting comfortably in the waiting room.
Will I join them soon?
“20%, 30%, 40%,”
Keeps ringing in my eardrums.
But I want more!
But now, the clicking has stopped.
“Congratulations,”
Smiles the examiner, handing me my certificate.
