FORMER INSTRUCTORS

Ian Huh (former teacher) enjoys sharing his musical experience through piano performance. At the age of ten, he began studying piano in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. He has since obtained first prizes in all major state competitions in Alaska, as well as been a prize winner at the San Jose International Piano Competition.

Huh earned his Bachelors of Music degree from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, and his Masters of Music degree from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, Huh is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Washington. His major teachers include Dai Uk Lee and Yong Hi Moon, and he is now under the guidance of Robin McCabe.

Huh believes musical talent in piano is innate to anyone who is naturally drawn to play. As a teacher, Huh hopes to nurture a student's curiosity, musical appreciation, as well as their potential.


Cicy Li (former teacher), born in Shenzhen, China, has been studying piano for over two decades. She is pursuing her DMA with Dr. Robin McCabe at the University of Washington. She holds an MM from the University of Washington and a bachelors degree in piano from Seattle Pacific University. Cicy is an active accompanist in the Seattle area, working both individually as well as with large ensembles. She currently accompanies the choir and worship band at a church in Ballard, as well as the Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle. As a performer, Cicy has won at various local festivals and competitions, performing at Meany Hall in 2017 as well as the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Hunter College in New York in 2018.

As a teacher, Cicy considers it a privilege to pass along the love for music, and to see how students grow as musicians. Her goal is to guide students with comfortable and effective technique, to introduce a wide range of music, and to encourage confidence as they learn to be creative at the piano. She believes the process of learning to play the piano should be enjoyable, and one that instills love of performing in every student.


Britanee Hwee (former teacher) grew up in Seattle under the musical tutelage of Marissa Rebadulla-Ramos, winning her first piano competition at age six and having her orchestral debut at age nine playing Haydn's C major concerto. She also competed successfully in the Northwest Chopin Competition and the Washington State Outstanding Artist Competition when she was in grade school. In 2010, she performed in Benaroya Hall as a prize for being a finalist in KING FM's Ten Grands competition. More recently, she was a two-time winner of the University of Washington School of Music Concerto Competition, performing as a featured soloist with the UW Symphony in Meany hall in 2012 and 2014.

Britanee graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance, studying under Dr. Robin McCabe. She was a recipient of the prestigious Brechemin Scholarship and has performed for many different artists such as Paul Roberts, Sasha Sarkovich, Craig Sheppard, and Steven Spooner. She has also played in chamber ensembles, accompanied for vocalists at the UW, and was part of a four-hands duo with pianist Joseph Dougherty for over two years. Teaching allows her to pass on to students an ability to love and appreciate music. She has experience working with children of all ages, and values an engaging, creative teaching approach that motivates and equips students to succeed. Britanee plans to pursue her Master's degree in Piano Performance in the near future.


Kay Yeh (former teacher) is a piano soloist, collaborator, and accompanist. During her past few years in Seattle, she was the pianist of Trio Camellia with violinist Heather Borror and cellist Yang Lu. In 2015, she joined the UW Wind Ensemble as a pianist.

Kay earned her Master's degree in piano performance from the University of Washington in 2015, and is currently in her Doctoral program under the tutelage of professor Robin McCabe. Prior to coming to Seattle to pursue her passion for piano, Kay's creativity expanded to graphic design and illustration as she earned her Bachelor's degree in Architecture from National Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan.

As a teacher, Kay enjoys bringing music to students of all ages. She considers music a very important part of education, and finds great delight in watching her students learn to play music step by step.


Stephanie Lee (former teacher) grew up in Bellevue, Washington and began studying the piano at age six with Tatiana Lanford. In her high school years she won several local competitions, and since then has accompanied for the Seattle Chinese Arts Group Choir and performed in various community events. She has had experience performing in masterclasses for pianists including Vadym Kholodenko, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Marilyn Nonken, and has recently performed in concerts as part of New England Conservatory's 2016 Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice.

In June 2016, Stephanie graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in piano performance, studying under Dainius Vaicekonis and Cristina Valdes. She currently serves as treasurer for the Washington State Federated Music Clubs, and is making plans for further education in the near future. As a hobby she plays in the Zhenlun cello orchestra, composes contemporary music, and finds time to pursue interests in art and literature between teaching and other responsibilities. She believes that self-awareness in every student's playing is crucial, and to know that making music to express themselves can be immensely satisfying.


Lidia Kotlova (former teacher) was born in a family of musicians in Lesnoy, Urals and has been playing the piano since she was four. She graduated from Lesnoy Music school with a major in piano performance and earned a Bachelor's degree from Sergei Prokofiev's College of Music in Moscow. In 2011 Lidia came to the U.S. and has got her Masters in piano performance degree at the University of Washington under the guidance of professor Robin McCabe.

Lidia likes to perform a lot and has numerous awards: She won the Seattle Russian Piano Festival Competition and the Bach and Viennese Competitions 2012. She played at Autumn Evenings concert at Benaroya Nordstrom Recital Hall as part of Russian Chamber Music Foundation and for the King FM Live broadcast show. Her performance was chosen for SeaTac airport's Experience the City of Music project in 2012.

As a student at the University of Washington, Lidia had two unique opportunities: She was invited to play on the Benaroya Hall stage a brand new piece composed by Joel Durand (associate Director of School of Music and Chair of the Composition department) called Le Tombeau de Rameau with the UW symphony, conducted by Prof. David Rahbee and with the guidance of maestro Ludovic Morlot. For the second opportunity, her performance became part of the documentary magazine When The War Ends, featured by the UW television and the UW magazine Three Sixty Degrees.

Currently, Lidia is an often invited pianist for the Steinway and Sons galleries and KUOW broadcasts. She is also a well-known and favorite pianist among senior residents of the Seattle area for charity performances, as well as in South India and Central Russia for concerts and master classes.

Lidia enjoys time with her husband and two sons, a cat, and a dog. She likes Indian culture and music and speaks Hindi fluently.


Jane Heinrichs (former teacher) is currently a doctoral student in piano performance, studying with Dr. Robin McCabe at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her former teachers include Hungarian pianist Bela Siki at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and Dr. John Cowell at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Jane regularly performs as accompanist for the University of Washington choirs, in addition to solo performances and chamber recitals with vocalists and instrumentalists. Performances in 2014 include a solo recital at the University of Arkansas and a collaborative recital with tenor William Brooke in Salt Lake City.

Jane has had successful piano studios in southern California, Arkansas, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She was a leader in the Music Teachers Association of California in the Los Angeles area and was a piano faculty member of the Hong Kong International Institute of Music and the University of Arkansas. Her students have been highly rated in auditions and examinations for the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Royal School of Music, and the Music Teachers Association of California.

Besides her interests in piano performance, Jane worked in the arts management field in San Francisco, assisting in fundraising and production of the Summer Festival of Music in Golden Gate Park. In her spare time, she enjoys walking the beaches of Puget Sound, hiking the trails of Mt. Rainier, and sharing school experiences with her two college-aged daughters.


Soonmee Kim (former teacher) moved to Seattle, WA in June of 2014 from Irvine, CA. She began her piano studies at the age of 8 with Sofia Zukerman and received a Bachelor of Music in piano performance with Eduardo Delgado at California State University, Fullerton as a recipient of the Alicia de Larrocha Scholarship, Ebell Club of Fullerton GFWC Scholarship, Brahinsky-Fromson Memorial Scholarship, and the Wolford Scholarship. She then received a Master of Music in piano performance at the New England Conservatory with Alexander Korsantia and was awarded the New England Conservatory Scholarship and the Beneficent Society Scholarship. Currently, Soonmee is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of Norman Krieger while residing in Seattle, WA and interning at the Seattle Symphony in the Public Relation and Communications department.

Soonmee has won numerous awards including 1st place at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, winner of the International Young Artists Peninsula Music Festival, grand prize winner of the Music Associates Concerto Competition, a finalist in the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition, winner of the Young Artist Guild of the Music Teachers' Association of California, a semifinalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and a finalist at the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition with her trio consisting of piano, violin, and clarinet called The KwonLam Trio. Soonmee is an active performer and has performed all over the United States and most recently in Perugia, Italy.

Soonmee has been teaching students of all ages for over a decade. She is passionate about her work and excited to work with students to share her love for classical music and the piano.


Yuliya Minina (former teacher), a Ukrainian born pianist, is an active teacher, soloist, and collaborative performer. She started her music education at the age of five at the Stolyarsky school-lyceum for gifted children in Odessa, Ukraine, where she was trained according to traditional Russian music school methods. Graduation from the Stolyarsky school and later from the music academy in her hometown of Odessa, Ukraine, further solidified Yuliya’s commitment to music. She moved to the United States to study in the Master's of Fine Arts Program at the University of California, Irvine. Resolved to pursue a career in music education, Yuliya continued her studies at the University of Washington, Seattle, where she received a doctoral degree in musical arts. Her teachers include Craig Sheppard (University of Washington), Nina Scolnik (University of California, Irvine), Tatiana Shevchenko (Odessa Music Academy), and Eleonora Levinzon (Stolyarsky School).

Yuliya has been teaching piano privately for more than a decade. While studying at UC Irvine, she had an opportunity to further sharpen her teaching skills in a classroom setting, where she independently taught group piano classes, preparing students for a piano proficiency exam. Yuliya’s approach to teaching is shaped by her own experiences as a performer and as a teacher. During individual lessons, Yuliya employs a variety of pedagogical techniques to make music lessons rigorous, yet enjoyable. When working with beginners, she likes strives to structure her lessons around a variety of stimulating activities to keep students actively engaged in the learning process. As students mature, Yuliya focuses on their musicianship by carefully balancing attention to technical details with mastering more subtle elements of the musical language.


Michael Refvem (former teacher) is experienced at teaching students of all ages and levels; beginner to advanced. In addition to cultivating a love for making music in his students, he believes finding success in music imbues them with confidence to excel in all other areas of life. For Michael, the art of teaching is as much about showing students how to learn effectively as it is about preparing for concerts. He is passionate about the progress of every one of his students and encourages dedication for those striving for excellence. Above all, he believes a combination of focused studies and persistence will be rewarded with outstanding results. In New York City, Michael was on the faculty of MSM Sunday, a program for young musicians taught by advanced graduate students. He has also coached chamber music for the Marrowstone Music Festival.

Michael is an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music (Master of Music, 2014) where he was a student of Zenon Fishbein and André-Michel Schub. He has performed in master classes for esteemed artists including Gilbert Kalish, Margo Garrett, Jeremy Denk, Stephen Drury, and Frederic Rzewski. At Prague Music Performance Institute and Festival, Michael worked with luminaries Paul Badura-Skoda, Andrei Gavrilov, and Alfred Brendel and collaborated with members of Prague Philharmonia. Michael is an alumnus of Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington (Bachelor of Music, 2011) where he studied with Jeffrey Gilliam. At WWU, Michael was the winner of the concerto competition and debuted its piano series at the Firehouse Arts Center. He has also performed extensively for the Bellingham Festival of Music as soloist and in collaboration with violinist Stefan Jackiw. Highlights from his time at MSM included a performance of Schubert's Trout Quintet in a master class with double bassist Kurt Muroki for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and a master class with world-renowned pianist Stephen Hough.


Amanda Harris (former teacher), a native of western Washington, is currently working on her Doctorate in piano performance at the University of Washington. Previously, she has studied at Northwestern University (BM in piano performance, BA in German), and Michigan State University (MM in Piano Performance, and MM Piano Pedagogy). She has even spent time in Germany, where she studied abroad for a year at the University of Tubingen.

Her teachers have included Patricia Michaelian (University of Washington), George Vatchnadze (Michigan State University), Dr. Marcia Bostis (Northwestern University), and Wei Tsin Fu (in Tubingen, Germany). Her passion for teaching started while studying at Michigan State University, taking pedagogy classes and finding opportunities to teach both privately, and in a group setting. Harris is also an active accompanist in the greater Seattle area.


Monica Yoon (former teacher), a Korean pianist, started playing the piano at the age of four. While attending Busan Arts High School, Monica made her debut with the Busan Symphony Orchestra, performing Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto. Thereafter, Monica studied at the Korean National University of Arts (KNUA), the first of its kind established by the Korean government, with a full scholarship. After graduating summa cum laude, Monica pursued her Master of Music in Piano Performance at New York University (NYU), where she studied with Prof. Eduardus Halim. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Washington where she is studying with Prof. Robin McCabe and is a recipient of Claire and Gustav Raaum Piano Scholarship and Hollingsworth scholarship.

In February of 2012, Monica was named a winner at the annual concerto competition of University of Washington's School of Music. Monica has been a winner at several international competitions as well, including the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New York City in 2009 and the recent American Protege International Piano competition in New York City for which she will perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in November, 2012.

In her interaction with students, Monica focuses on cultivating their potential and developing skills and aptitude necessary for tension-free piano performance. She encourages students to find their own goals and helps them seek ways to achieve them. She is always willing to demonstrate various practice methods to help students improve their understanding of overcoming the challenges in learning to play the piano.


Lisa (former teacher) has been teaching piano since 1991. Before moving to Seattle, she was a lead piano instructor at Szymanski Studios as well as a Japanese language and music teacher at the Hawbridge Charter School in North Carolina. She is a professional singer/songwriter and an internationally recognized recording artist. From Scottish Ceilidhs in the highlands to large scale Anime and Sci-Fi Conventions, she has performed original music and arrangements of traditional folk, classical, pop, and electronic music at various cultural events and media conventions at nearly all of the 50 states and in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Lisa received her BA in Music (piano) and Asian Studies (Japanese) from UNC-Chapel Hill where she studied with Michael Zenge and later with Francis Whang. She is trained in the Taubman technique for injury prevention. Some of her other teachers have been Allen Anderson (composition), Donald Oehler (chamber music), Sharon Szymanski (voice), and Terry Thompson (piano at St. Mary's College). She has performed in master classes for Paul Schenly, Claude Frank, Nelita True, Rebecca Penneys and many others. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the Piano Guild, and has helped prepare interested students for scholarship auditions and competitions. Lisa is originally from Tokyo, Japan, where she began her piano training at the age of 2 with the Suzuki method. With her training as a classical pianist, she helps younger beginning students enjoy the process of developing their ear training and memorization skills with a well-rounded foundation for reading music and performing.

Lisa strives to help students enjoy the process of learning and to become responsible, self-motivated learners. She encourages students to keep an open mind, to take on new challenges, to set clear goals, and to work on a variety of music. She carries her open minded love of music into her teaching and hopes each student will discover and expand their understanding of music that they are passionate about.


Erh-Chia Wei (former teacher) has received formal music training beginning at the age of five. Since childhood, she has demonstrated her musical talent by winning virtually every local and international competition in her native country, including the Taipei International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 1996. In 2000, she was the third prize winner of the International Rachmaninoff Competition in Tambov, Russia. Later she moved to Boston to continue her education at the Boston Conservatory and the New England Conservatory, where she received her bachelor and master degrees in piano performance. She also received her doctoral musical arts degree in piano performance at the University of Washington in 2010. Her principal teachers include Michael Lewin, Patricia Zander, and Craig Sheppard.

As a teacher, she was formerly a faculty member at Ip Piano School in Boston where she discovered her passion for working with children and teenagers. Cultivating good practicing habits and excellent coordination between the brain and the hands are the two main focuses of her piano teaching.


Jenifer U (former teacher) received her Master of Music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey.  For her Bachelor of Music degree, she studied with Neal O'Doan at the University of Washington.  Her other teachers include Margaret Brink, and Jose Ramos Santana.

As a teacher, she has extensive experience in working with both kids as well as adults.  She was appointed a senior faculty member at the New School for Music Study in New Jersey in 1997.  Ms. U joined the Seattle Piano Academy in 2004.     MTNA member, Seattle Chapter


Aaron Malver (former teacher) started playing the piano at age 3 and began his formal study with Maria Rantapaa at 5.  After 10 years of studying under Ms. Rantapaa and Gena Levinson (currently at the Juilliard School), he continued his music education at Oberlin Conservatory, taking piano lessons with Mary Ann Dannenberg and trumpet lessons with Kenneth Davis and Byron Pearson, along with music history and theory classes.  He earned his bachelors degree in Mathematics from Oberlin College.

Mr. Malver walked away from his software career to return to piano, studying with Jinhwa Chon since 2002.  Ms. Chon's unique, natural approach to piano technique now provides the foundation for Mr. Malver's playing and teaching.  His passion for teaching and learning about piano brought him to the Academy as a teacher in 2006.  Mr. Malver enjoys working with students of all ages, and his particular passion lies in guiding children to pace and direct their own learning, and helping adults discover or rediscover their own ability to create music.     MTNA member, Seattle chapter