|
Yelena Kofman
Specialties Classical piano; theory; ear training; sight reading; music appreciation
Teaching Philosophy/Methodology As Henrich Neuhaus, one of the greatest teachers of Russian piano school, once said,
"Our duty is not to merely teach the student how to play well, but also to make him or her more intelligent, more responsive,more equitable, more faithful."
I help my students on their paths to achieve those human qualities which are impossible to attain without music. I help them to understand and enjoy the beauty of musical literature and share it with their family and community.
I believe that love is the golden key in the learning process. Music is something that everybody is able to love. My approach is to nurture this innate love so that it can flourish. To that end, I put emphasis on the meaning of music. Using only meaningful and inspiring music in my lessons, I introduce students to something which is understandable and makes sense. My philosophy is that teaching should be based on individual needs. I provide every single student with different pieces according to his/her character, age taste and individual qualities.
|
|
|
Additional Biographical Information Yelena Kofman was born in
Yekaterinburg, USSR, into a family of artists and musicians. She started
playing piano at the age of 5. She went through the legendary rigorous training
of the Russian piano tradition based on concentration, imagination, and
physical technique. In her teens she was given the special privilege of
attending the prestigious Gnessinich School of Music which boasted some
of the best pianists of our time, including Evgeny Kissin and many others.
After graduation, she emigrated to the United States with her husband, Yasha
Kofman, the renown classical guitarist. She has been teaching in New York
for over 20 years.
|
|