Keyboard Studies

Keyboard Studies Faculty

Piano and Collaborative Piano
Donald Berman , chair
Rieko Aizawa ‡, 2024-25 leave of absence
Wayman Chin
Libor Dudas
Gila Goldstein
Adam Golka
Renana Gutman 
Hugh Hinton
Brian Moll 
Eri Nakamura
Jessica Xylina Osborne
Matt Savage
Noriko Yasuda*
Esther Ning Yau 
Andrius Zlabys
Karen Zorn, President

‡ piano and collaborative piano faculty
† collaborative piano faculty

* no private studio

HARPSICHORD
JOHN MCKEAN
VIVIAN MONTGOMERY

ORGAN
LIBOR DUDAS

To me, music is about healing and transformation. People want to be connected to one another—and music can offer that connection without language, without words. Students deserve support and empathy, not competition. That’s part of what makes Longy a great place to grow as a person and a musician, as we help students realize their potential to change the world.
— Eri Nakamura

Meet Eri Nakamura!
Program Highlights

Working with a roster of active performers on the faculty, students develop their artistry as soloists and chamber musicians with private studio instruction at its core. A weekly piano seminar expands approaches to practicing, interpretation, and programming. Students focus on technique and performance practice but also how to create compelling and innovative programs that engage a variety of audiences. Students will also have the opportunity to work with partners like Horszowski Trio, Musicians from Marlboro, and the New Gallery Concert Series.

Course HIGHLIGHTS
All-Embracing: Solo and Chamber Music from 1972-2022
Engaging with new music is an essential skill for all musicians. Survey music written in the last fifty years, which charted a path towards more inclusive and eclectic music-making and drew inspiration from far outside the mainstream of the Western Classical genre.

Diverse and Eclectic Collaborative Skills
Step outside of classical accompanying and bolster your collaborative skills in musical theatre, pop, rhythm and blues, gospel, acapella and choir rep, dance studio classes, and other varied genres.

More Program Highlights

Studio Lessons: Collaboration with a faculty mentor is the cornerstone of conservatory education at Longy. Together you will explore your unique artistic and professional goals while expanding technical and musical insight.

Masterclasses and Seminars: Through workshops, masterclasses, discussions, and presentation, frequent seminars offer insight regarding interpretation, repertoire, analysis, and performance practice. Recent guests have included Irma Vallecillo, Andreas Klein, Nelita True, and Anne Koscielny. Through a special partnership with Celebrity Series of Boston, emerging artists in its Debut Series present exclusive workshops and masterclasses with Longy students throughout the year.

Chamber Music: Georges Longy’s belief in the power of collaboration inspires the central role of chamber music in our conservatory. You will work closely with faculty coaches every semester and will explore ensemble playing through coursework, informal readings, and community outreach.

Pedagogy: We believe that teaching should be a form of heightened, enlivened communication. Rather than focusing solely on acquiring pedagogical skills, we seek to draw out your latent expertise and help you communicate authentically. Students are placed in partnering schools and youth music organizations for a teaching practicum.

Accompanying: All piano majors engage in assigned accompanying to hone their collaborative skills with singers and instrumentalists. Some graduate pianists also have additional accompanying assistantships where they can further refine their abilities. Additional coursework explores the standard repertoire of instrumental and vocal literature.

Teaching Artist Program: Required of all students, this two-semester program includes active learning experiences, discussions, foundational readings, and interactive presentations. It culminates in student-designed and student-led musical projects in various community venues throughout the Greater Boston area.

DEGREE & DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS

I want the world to know what music can do and why musicians devote so much time and effort to it, as music is a language that expresses the things that words cannot. This power really shines when you allow music to move you and tell you something new.
— Samuel Durand