Willan Academy of Music

Fall registration is officially open at Willan Academy of Music.

We are not just a music school. We are a community, one built on knowing each other, supporting each other, and growing together season after season. Whether your child is continuing their journey with us or just beginning, we would love to welcome you into that community, not simply sign you up for lessons.

Private in home, online, and in studio lessons are available across Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.

Register today: https://www.willanacademy.com/sign-up/

Featured Teacher: Meet Sam Ng 🎶

Long before Sam was singing lead roles on New York's opera stages, he was a ten year old boy in Singapore being told he wasn't brave enough to stay on his badminton team. Two days earlier, almost by accident, he had discovered he could sing.

What followed was a path built entirely on believing in himself, through rejection, through people telling him it couldn't be done, all the way to Mannes School of Music and a performing career across some of New York's most respected opera stages.

Today Sam brings that same quiet determination and warmth into every lesson he teaches at Willan, whether it's a first piano lesson or preparing a student for their own moment on stage. We are so grateful to have him as part of our community.

Read Sam's full story here:

Faculty Spotlight: Sam - Willan Academy Of Music Featured Teacher From a Singapore Badminton Court to the Opera Stages of New York A conversation with Sam Ng — voice & piano We feel truly fortunate to have a teacher of Sam's caliber at Willan Academy, an internationally accomplished performer who brings the same care and warmth to a first piano ...

A moment we want to share with our Willan family.

Yesterday, our founder, Kenji had his final lesson with N, a student who picked up the guitar for the first time with him at 3.5 years old. More than 14 years later, N is heading to college.

It is bittersweet, but mostly beautiful.

At Willan, we often say that music is really about people. Today is a perfect reminder of that. The lessons, the milestones, the relationship built over more than a decade. That is what stays.

Every lesson matters. Because there is always a last one.

So proud of you, N. Go do great things!!

🏆 Spring Recital Reflections

This spring on June 7, we held three separate recitals, bringing together students from across our community for a day full of music and celebration.

Eight students earned Platinum Awards, complete with trophies, for practicing every single day over spring break. That kind of dedication deserves to be celebrated.

Before each recital began, our director asked the room a simple question: “Who wants to play perfectly today?” A few hands went up. We get it. We all want that.

But then he shared something he had to learn himself. His first rule was “no mistakes allowed.” The moment he said it, you could feel it in the room. Shoulders tightened. Breath got shallow. That rule was working against everyone.

So he rewrote it on the spot.

The new rule: everyone is allowed to make a mistake today.

And just like that, something shifted. Because the real truth is, our students had already done the hard work. Every practice session, every repeated measure, every moment they showed up even when they did not feel like it. That work lives in their hands and their hearts now.

So our director asked everyone to do one thing: trust your practice, and have fun.

And they did. Every single student performed beautifully.

Congratulations to all of our Spring 2026 recital performers. We are so proud of each and every one of you.

We'd like you to meet Mattia.

Before he was teaching drums, guitar, and piano to students at Willan Academy, Mattia placed second at the World Go-Kart Championship at age 12, studied at the Bratislava Conservatory, earned a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music, and performed his debut jazz album at Lincoln Center alongside one of his saxophone heroes.

But what we love most about Mattia is something he said about teaching:

"Sometimes a beginner asks a simple question that makes me rethink something I have done for years."

That curiosity — that genuine openness — is exactly what makes him so beloved by his students. Whether you're 6 or 60, Mattia meets you where you are and helps you find your own door into music.

We sat down with him to hear his full story. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

👉

A conversation with Mattia Müller — drums, guitar & piano - Willan Academy Of Music A conversation with Mattia Müller — drums, guitar & piano by Kenji Haba | May 23, 2026 | blog Featured Teacher From Slovakia to New York,One Beat at a Time A conversation with Mattia Müller — drums, guitar & piano   Some teachers pass along technique. The rare ones pass along a way of seeing....

On May 9th, some of our youngest musicians walked onto the Merkin Hall stage — and they were extraordinary.

A sibling duo on violin and cello that stopped the room. A young guitarist (age 5) who played with such quiet focus it was impossible to look away. A pianist who moved us to our core, then returned for a stunning duet with a violinist. A vocalist who closed the set with a performance that felt far beyond her years.

These students didn't just perform. They showed up, prepared, and gave everything they had — in one of New York City's finest concert halls.

We are so proud of every single one of them. 🎶