Chopin Academy of Music

There is simply no way around it: the more demanding the competition, the greater the commitment required—both in lesson time and in daily practice.
One of the greatest frustrations for teachers occurs when a student and family aspire to participate in a highly competitive event, yet are unwilling to increase lesson time beyond 45 minutes or make the necessary commitment to daily practice. We are sorry to be the bearers of difficult news, but at a certain level, this simply does not work.
For larger and more demanding competitions, students may need 75- or 90-minute lessons, two lessons per week, and a commitment of two or more hours of focused daily practice. The exact amount will vary depending on the student, repertoire, level, and competition—but the principle remains the same.
Your goals and your investment of time must match.
You cannot go from a walk in the park to running a marathon simply because one day you dream of crossing the finish line. A marathon requires preparation, conditioning, discipline, and time. Serious piano competition is no different.
As piano instructors, we can often accomplish remarkable things. With intelligent repertoire choices, excellent teaching, careful planning, and inspired students, we can sometimes achieve results that seem almost miraculous. But we cannot replace the hours that must ultimately be spent at the piano.
Talent matters. Great teaching matters. Smart repertoire matters. But for serious competition preparation, adequate lesson time and consistent daily practice are non-negotiable.
Dream ambitiously—but prepare accordingly.

Lucky are those who study at the Chopin Academy of Music!
This Fall's exciting opportunities for the most ambitious students include:

1: Numerous performing opportunities in the Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, Somerset and other locations.

2: Masterclasses with Dr Logan Skelton -a world class pianist and educator, currently Professor of piano at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor: September 28, 2026.

3: Masterclasses and private lesson opportunities with Dr Alexander Tutunov, a world class virtuoso representing the best of the Russian School of piano performance and a professor of Southern Oregon University

5: Outreach Masterclasses: Dr Christopher Bowlby, Dr Kaminska and Dr Salvosa invite any students from the Issaquah and Sammamish community for the joint masterclasses where all three pianists will join together with fun, inspiring and educational pianistic tips (for more info fill out our CONTACT PAGE).

6: A faculty recital: Dr Yuan Zhou and Isaac Berglin perform a cello and piano recital at the Forest Ridge School in Somerset: free to attend for Chopin Academy of Music students.

7: Chopin Academy of Music hosts Crescendo International Music Competition on the last Sunday of November.

8: Get some Sunshine in the gloomy December: join us in the Kerr Performing Arts Center (ASU) for the concert presenting the best of Chopin Academy: priority for Competition and Exam Track Students: December 6, 3pm: Kerr Performing Arts Center, Scottsdale, AZ
chopinacademy.com

Lucky are those who study at the Chopin Academy of Music!
This Fall's exciting opportunities for the most ambitious students include:

1: Numerous performing opportunities in the Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, Somerset and other locations.

2: Masterclasses with Dr Logan Skelton -a world class pianist and educator, currently Professor of piano at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor: September 28, 2026.

3: Masterclasses and private lesson opportunities with Dr Alexander Tutunov, a world class virtuoso representing the best of the Russian School of piano performance and a professor of Southern Oregon University

5: Outreach Masterclasses: Dr Christopher Bowlby, Dr Kaminska and Dr Salvosa invite any students from the Issaquah and Sammamish community for the joint masterclasses where all three pianists will join together with fun, inspiring and educational pianistic tips (for more info fill out our CONTACt PAGE).

6: A faculty recital: Dr Yuan Zhou and Isaac Berglind perform a cello and piano recital at the Forest Ridge School in Somerset: free to attend for Chopin Academy of Music students.

7: Chopin Academy of Music hosts Crescendo International Music Competition on the last Sunday of November.

8: Get some Sunshine in the gloomy December: join us in the Kerr Performing Arts Center (ASU) for the concert presenting the best of Chopin Academy: priority for Competition and Exam Track Students: December 6, 3pm: Kerr Performing Arts Center, Scottsdale, AZ

We are honored to have such a wonderful pianist-a true virtuoso- join our phenomenal faculty! Welcome Dr Yuan Zhou!

Dr Yuan will perform our first faculty concert in Forest Ridge School on October 25, 2026 at 3pm: mark your calendars.

Do not miss our early registration discount and enjoy reading about this fantastic pianist of the Chopin Academy of Music, Issaquah.

Chinese pianist Yuan Zhou is recognized for her poetic artistry, technical finesse, and insightful interpretations across a wide range of repertoire. As a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist, she brings depth, clarity, and a compelling musical voice to the stage. Her performances—described as “refined yet bold”—reflect a broad musical sensibility shaped by rigorous study, international experience, and a deep commitment to musical storytelling.
An avid solo and chamber musician, Yuan has performed throughout Russia, the United States, and China. She has appeared at prestigious festivals, including the Gilmore Piano Festival and PianoSummer at New Paltz, and has been invited to the Taos School of Music as a Young Artist and to the Bowdoin International Music Festival as a Piano Fellow. Her artistic development has been shaped through studies with renowned musicians, including Robert McDonald, Maria João Pires, Stephen Hough, and Kirill Gerstein. Yuan is the First Prize winner of the 8th Moscow International Frederick Chopin Competition for Young Pianists (China Division), where she also received special awards for Outstanding Performance and Best Waltz Interpretation.
As a dedicated educator, Yuan is committed to creating a supportive, structured, and inspiring learning environment tailored to each student’s individual goals and learning style. She aims to help students develop strong and healthy technical foundations and sight-reading skills from an early stage, build a diverse repertoire, develop effective practice habits, and cultivate confidence, creativity, and artistic expression through engaging and personalized instruction.
Yuan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami, where she studied with Kevin Kenner and served as a full-time teaching assistant. She also earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music under the guidance of Antonio Pompa-Baldi, receiving the Sadie Zellen Piano Prize and the Arthur Loesser Memorial Award. Her previous teachers include Daxin Zheng of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music and Huiqiao Bao of the Central Conservatory of Music.

Chopin Academy of Music The Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah offers high level piano, violin and flute lessons to students of all ages and levels. If you want expert teachers with top credentials, this is a place for you.

When there is a talent there is no time to waste!

With the new school year approaching, we are welcoming our new flute instructor Ms. Launa Rohar. We look forward to hearing our flute students in all recitals in Forest Ridge and Benaroya Hall this year! Do not wait-registration is open now and we offer an early registration discount!

Laura has inspired students of all ages for more than thirty-five years with a teaching approach that emphasizes technical excellence, musical understanding, and artistic independence. She was appointed Graduate Teaching Fellow in Flute at Oregon State University and has taught on the faculties of Albany Conservatory for Music Education, Happy Minds Music School, Kaleidoscope School of Music and Music Works Northwest. She also served as Arts Director of the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, where she taught flute while providing artistic leadership for a multidisciplinary community arts center supporting music, dance, and visual arts education.
An active performer throughout her career, Launa has served as Principal Flutist with the Tacoma Community Orchestra, Mercer Island Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra Seattle, and Corvallis Symphony Orchestra, and performed as piccolo with the White Water Opera Company. Her performances have been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including prize winner of the Abbotsford International Music Competition.
Launa’s teaching is grounded in a structured, sequential curriculum that develops confident, expressive musicians through thoughtful instruction and high expectations. She guides students through each stage of their musical development, preparing them for recitals, competitions, youth symphony auditions, Royal Academy examinations and collegiate music auditions while cultivating musical fluency, confidence, and a lifelong love of music.
As both an educator and mother of three accomplished musicians, Launa deeply values the partnership between teacher, student, and family. Outside the studio, she enjoys hiking, lifelong learning, supporting the arts, and working with individuals and families through her financial planning and wealth management practice. Whether teaching music or helping people navigate their financial lives, she believes that thoughtful preparation, discipline, planning and trust are the foundation of lasting growth.

Huge congrats to Lucas Lee for winning another Gold Medal: this time in FIRST PRIZE in NY Golden Classical Music Awards! Lucas and his younger sister Farrah are also soon debuting in Salzburg, Austria: International piano travelers! Bravo!

Get ready for the new academic year with this inspiring and energizing annual event! This time-featuring Helena Azevedo!

Summer piano fun at the CAM: kickstart your prep for the Fall piano competitions such as Bach Festival !!! We welcome Helena Azevedo to our summer workshop!

Great musicians are not made by practice alone. At the Chopin Academy of Music, students learn to transform their hard work into compelling performances, developing the confidence, poise, and stage presence necessary to thrive under the spotlight of prestigious concert venues such as the magnificent Benaroya Hall. BRAVO to all including our fantastic teachers!

🎶👏 Congratulations to our amazing students and their brilliant and dedicated teachers on a truly outstanding Honors Recital this year!

Your dedication, hard work, and passion for music were on full display, creating an unforgettable evening of exceptional performances. We are incredibly proud of each student who shared their talents on stage and grateful to the teachers whose guidance, encouragement, and expertise helped make this achievement possible.

Thank you for inspiring our community through the power of music. Here's to celebrating your accomplishments and looking forward to even more musical success in the future!