Testimonials YELP

Testimonials

Reviews on YELP
https://yelp.to/qTKq/ggyTfMT7Z3

Edward is one of the most effective and supportive teachers I have been privileged to study with in my entire life. My statement applies across all disciplines and forms of instruction I have been exposed to -- from private language lessons as a kid to completing a Ph.D. in mathematics. After several unconvincing attempts at taking up piano as an adult, I finally met Edward almost two years ago. From the very first lesson, I felt that I was finally settling into a productive practice routine and able to progress towards meaningful musical goals.

Incidentally at the time we were also looking for a new piano teacher for my 10-year old son Andrew; after his trial lesson with Edward, my son asked to cancel all remaining trial lessons with other teachers. He wanted to work with Edward because he felt he would have clear guidance and would be able to make progress with every lesson. Andrew is quite an independent spirit, and his enthusiasm was reinforced later on when Edward involved him in the choice of repertoire and accommodated some of Andrew's own suggestions, including both classical and popular pieces.

Edward's willingness to accommodate his students' musical interests while carefully selecting technically realistic repertoire pieces works wonders. Even though I had no prior experience of playing in public, Edward's choice of instruction topics and practice techniques enabled me to start participating in his student recitals less than a year after we had met. My reservations as a slightly awkward adult beginner dissipated because of the strong musical interest of the pieces we were working on, as well as Edward's constant support overcoming any execution difficulties.

After a second more ambitious student recital in which I didn't do as well technically, Edward suggested changes in both repertoire and practice routines, which reignited my interest and dedication in spite of the temporary setback. Edward's detailed feedback and selection of the few most important aspects to work on at a given point of time led to constant progress and boosted my self-confidence.

Judith W.

I've been studying piano with Edward for a year now. He has reinvigorated my flagging piano practice and continues to challenge and stimulate me. He has helped to change my style of playing and overcome long established bad habits. With his encouragement, I've found myself reaching for and achieving goals I never approached before, such as memorizing pieces, which I'd long thought was beyond me, and now I manage to find time in my busy schedule to practice regularly. It's gratifying to see the progress I've made in a year, and I hope to continue. Edward is also quite flexible and accommodating in scheduling, and always completely focused during lessons.

Robin T.

I've been taking piano lessons from Edward for almost 3 years now, and I have to say he is a truly inspirational, passionate teacher. Before meeting him, I took lessons from another teacher in the city through a Groupon deal, which turned out so disastrously that I didn't even finish using the package. Fortunately I stumpled upon Edward's website after googling and calling around, and have been a happy student since. Considerations I took for giving him 5 stars-

Quality of lessons: Edward is an amazing piano player himself (you'd think that's a given but trust me, my first teacher wasn't), and is willing to work with many different styles of playing. He incorporates a good amount of technical work (through scales, etudes, etc) into building up your repertorie. I wanted to play a couple of Chinese pop pieces, and he very patiently worked on those with me along with the more classical pieces he suggested.

Pricing: $50/hour for adult students who go to his home studio in Long Island City, but he always wants to get through all of your material and doesn't mind going over the hour mark if he doesn't have another student coming (at no additional charge).

Flexibility: Unlike most teachers/programs that require you to take lessons weekly, Edward will accommodate your work schedule. I started off with weekly lessons but found that I didn't have enough time to practice in between, so I cut back to bi-weekly lessons the second year. My work got more hectic recently and now we're operating on an ad-hoc basis where I simply email him when I have time to go (averaging once a month).

The only minor consideration is that he hasn't done any rehearsals (as far as I'm aware), so maybe you wouldn't get the same exposure to group performance as you would at a more formalized music program. This wasn't at all important for me though, and I'm sure he would have been willing to work something out with me if it had been.

Anna H.

There are many excellent musicians in New York City who offer piano lessons, but it is much more difficult to find those who, like Edward, are also excellent teachers. Like many of Edward's other students, I played the piano as a kid and decided to return to it as an adult after a very long hiatus. I'm embarrassed to say that I remembered almost nothing from my childhood lessons, and I felt like I was learning the basics for the first time.

I've been taking lessons with Edward for one year, and have gone from re-learning the C major scale to performing a Beethoven Sonata in front of other students - but perhaps more importantly, I have regained my love for the piano. I attribute much of this to Edward's teaching style, which is rigorous, but patient, and highly personalized. My fear in returning to the piano was that it would make me feel like a 12-year-old doing homework again, but Edward has a unique ability to motivate and inspire. He also is tremendously flexible and understanding of the busy lives of his adult students, and he tailors each lesson to whatever progress I have made since my last one (even when it's not much at all ).

Learning from Edward has been such a fun and challenging experience, and I can't recommend him enough to students of any level.

Emilie R.

In a nutshell, I would definitely recommend Edward as a piano teacher for anyone who is willing to playing the piano. He accepts students from beginner level to professional musicians. And he can come to your house for lessons.

I have been playing the piano on and off since childhood. When I left Paris five years ago I had to stop playing the piano as my job was taking all my time. In December 2015, still very much involved with my work I was hesitant to start taking piano lessons. I felt I was missing playing the piano but was not sure whether I would have the time and energy to play again, and I knew finding a great piano teacher is not something easy.

In January 2016 I was introduced to Edward through one of my colleagues and decided to take a leap and get back to piano lessons. It was one of the best decisions I made in 2016! Edward is an amazing teacher and he resurrected my love of playing the piano. While in January 2016 I was not able to play any piece entirely without several mistakes, after a couple of months of lessons with Edward I performed during a recital he organized and played three pieces.

Blair B.

Edward Nemirovsky is a Master piano teacher and one of the best I have found throughout my long musical career. To add to that, the prices are more than reasonable and fair in this competitive New York Market. You get what you pay for and much more in my opinion. I first met Edward during my search for a piano teacher who could assist with me working through some technical inconsistencies and weaknesses that I believed were holding me back from taking a graduate level piano accompaniment class at Westminster Choir College that I wanted to pursue in the fall of 2012.
From our first lesson, and in each and every subsequent lesson, Edward was masterful in balancing the technical work required with the artistic aspirations of an adult student who needed to make up lost ground in order to participate in a class comprised of graduate piano performance and piano accompaniment majors. As the only non-piano major in the class at Westminster, it was remarkable to see how my private work with Edward each week produced tangible results. He not only kept me afloat and inspired me to not give up by working toward manageable ends to overcome technical deficiencies, but I also managed to come out of the class with an 'A'. While I understand that I put in the work, I can say without any reservation whatsoever, that I could not have done so without Edward's tireless help. Edward's command of piano skills, his penetrating insight, his deep knowledge and his ability to motivate his students is what sets him apart from other piano teachers that I have had previously. Thanks to Edward, I feel like a true artist albeit one who still needs much development and practice. With Edward's help, I am confident that I will continue to refine my technical skills and deepen my sensitivity and emotional response to any music put before me. Edward is an exemplary MASTER teacher so it is without reservation that I recommend him to any student looking to discover the exuberance and joy of playing the piano.

Edward is very personable and he is very much involved in his work. He makes you work on your technique as well as on how to express yourself. The pieces he suggests can be anything from classical music to jazz music, including film songs or pop music (including four hands or notes to company a singer), and he is open to students wishes and suggestions as well. I found the pieces he suggested perfect in term of technicality, he always picked pieces which were sufficiently challenging for me and reasonably achievable. The lessons would include working on the notes, on the rhythm and on the interpretation.

I would say that in addition to the technical competences of Edward, what makes him an amazing teacher is probably his intelligence. Edward is probably the best teacher I ever had so far. He understands very quickly what I need to work on and creates specific little exercises which proved to be very efficient. He is never criticizing. He makes me love the piece I am working on and motivates me very easily. I have now made playing the piano a regular and whenever possible a daily routine.

The small recitals that Edward organizes regularly are wonderful experiences. Even though it is not easy to play in public, it is an experience exceptionally rewarding and it gives a sense of achievement which is very rare. Edward makes small videos which is nice so that you can share them with families and friends.

Rui T.

I have taken piano lesson from Edward for more than 1 year now. I truly appreciate Edward's dedication and professionalism. There are many piano teachers in NYC, but finding one that really works for you is hard. I feel I am very lucky to come cross Edward's web site(edwardpiano.com) and made the right decision to have a try. The result is more than I expect. I started pretty much from ground zero, but after one year I was able to play musically some very beautiful classical and modern piano pieces in front of group of people. I would attribute this to Edward's great dedication and professionalism. Edward himself is a professional composer and pianist with many years of experience. His students range from professional musician to beginner like me. But he customizes his teaching method to individual. No matter you are a fast learner or a slow learner like me, he works closely with you and help improve all aspects of your musicianship. For busy professional like me, Edward has great patient and work with great effort to help navigate through all the technical and artistic difficulties. Sometimes I feel Edward actually works harder than I myself. I am looking forward to learning from Edward for many years to come. If you are looking for a piano teacher, I highly recommend Edward. No matter what level you are, you should definitely give it a try and the result may happily surprise you!

Griffin G.

I've been studying with Edward for about 5 months and my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Edward has a deep understanding of classical piano repertoire and helps to bring out the differences between each composer in how I play. He also identifies weak spots in my playing whether it's memorization or technique related and comes up with strategies on how to overcome them.

I highly recommend lessons with Edward to anyone looking to improve their piano playing.

Kelly N.

Edward is an amazing piano teacher, and I'd highly recommend him to anyone, beginners and non-beginners alike. I've been taking lessons with him for almost a year now and am so happy I found him.

But first things first, I'll start with a little bit about myself and what I was looking for when I started my piano teacher search:

I played piano from the ages of 7 through 12. In college, I took some piano lessons through my school, which were good for easing myself back into playing. But when I graduated, I knew I wanted an experienced teacher who could create a plan to help me really improve in all aspects of piano. Piano/music is like any other subject in this regard - if you want to solve an algebra problem, then you need to understand basic math operations, fractions, the concept of negative and positive numbers, and so on. It's one thing to play some notes on a keyboard, but it's another thing to transform those notes into something really beautiful by paying attention to the articulation, dynamics, phrasing, etc of the music. Music is a language, and a good piano teacher will help you build the foundational skills to read and make music.

That's not to say that to take away from natural connection the human mind has with music and imply that it can all be broken down into a precise mathematical formula of notes and symbols. But having a good foundation in music and someone to identify where you can improve and give you concrete ways to do so is incredibly important. So...that's what I was looking for.

I am really happy to say that during my lessons with Edward, I've gotten the teacher that I was looking for. The focus on technique is something that I need (as someone who is naturally a bit lazy and develops bad habits that way easily), and I've been learning how to naturally express myself in music. And it's very obvious that the curriculum is developed to suit you and your needs - the exercises are personalized towards what I need to work on, either in more general terms (keeping a beat has always been a weak point of mine, even when I was a kid) or targeted towards something I'm having trouble with in the specific piece we're working on. We work on music theory as well. I always feel open to ask questions and ask for clarification. Edward strikes a balance between being encouraging and challenging in his teaching.

Before Covid, I used to go Edward's apartment every week for lessons. Now that we are all doing social distancing though, and I'm also back home in another state, we've been doing Skype lessons. My piano back home isn't as good as the one I have in Brooklyn, but we've been adjusting and working through the challenges. Other than the fact that I could use a newer piano (it was a very state of the art keyboard back in the mid 2000s - now, not so much), I feel that we've been able to continue lessons at the same level and pace as we were before, perhaps even faster now that I have more time to dedicate to piano. With an ethernet cable and a good microphone and webcam/tripod, it's amazing what you can do with technology these days!

Angelika M.

Edward is the consummate teacher: vast and deep knowledge, patience, and able to clearly articulate nuance and more complex theory. His methodical approach to teaching enhances your ability to practice at home and lends a practicality amid other responsibilities like work (he will help develop a practice regimen if needed). He is very generous with his instruction -- I've taken dance and music lessons with other teachers in the past -- and Edward dedicates such focus and attention to your individual technique and playing capabilities that facilitate person-centered instruction and the isolation of areas requiring additional review. You can tell by the thoroughness of his instruction that he is truly invested to see his students succeed.

All of the reviews here formed my decision to take lessons from Edward, and I'm so glad I did. I was looking for rigorous instruction from an instructor with a high degree of training who would support (not dismiss as can be the case with adult students) my aspirations to become a great piano player. Edward helps you establish a strong foundation and uses real pieces of music (not the standard elementary material used at big box music schools) to help progress your skill set. He covers the gamut of instruction from theory, technique, history, and playing with personality/heart from an incredibly professional standpoint. Edward will undoubtedly advance your skill set, take your piano goals seriously, and challenge and push when needed. I highly recommend Edward.

Angelli V.

I have been taking piano lessons with Mr. Edward for a little over a year now and I am extremely happy with the direction, pace, and style of his lessons. I think he is a great teacher. I have always liked classical music so finding a teacher who is able to explain well is wonderful. Before finding him on Yelp I had been wanting to study the piano for some time but could not find a teacher I liked so I am glad to have found him. I first tried playing the piano when I was around 9 years old, I was with my teacher for one summer then stopped because the lessons didn't make sense to me and I had questions that went unanswered too many times. With Mr. Edward I feel like the questions are answered even before they start forming in my head. He is extremely thorough and knowledgeable.

There are two things I like most about lessons with him. First is his teaching style. I think his style has a good balance of technique and music. He is quick to point out tendencies that could become bad habits which I appreciate. One of my earliest problems (which is still a work in progress) is that I tend to overthink the music which he immediately noted needed to be controlled. I think before I play but Mr. Edward kept insisting to play first and then review what you played. He not only teaches how to play but also how to properly learn music. The second thing I like most is how he describes the proper way to play. For instance, when we work on dynamics, he often compares crescendo to a wave or to a growing plant. This type of imagery is extremely helpful for me especially when practicing on my own. During my home practice, I can ask myself questions - can I compare this phrase I just made to a wave or a growing plant?

When COVID19 hit and lockdowns took place, we switched to online lessons. The transition was seamless. He advised which equipment were needed as well. I immensely appreciate his patience during our lessons. I would recommend him to anybody.

Keith W.

Edward is a fantastic piano teacher. His background in many styles of music is essential to him being really flexible with what I'm typing to learn and improve on. I started taking lessons with him to continue to work on my jazz skills, improvisation and technique. His approach of making me slow down and focus on fundamentals has been really effective. I'd recommend him for anyone looking to study in NY at any level.

Stephen L.

Edward is a phenomenal teacher. I've been studying with him for about a year now, and I highly recommend him if you're looking for a piano teacher. Here's what makes Edward a great teacher:

- Ability to adapt your skills to help you learn the pieces you want to learn -- Thru teaching you the piece, Edward helps you develop the skills necessary to play it well

- Focus on helping you understand the theory -- I studied piano for years as a child, and while I studied a lot of theory, I never understood truly how it applied to the music until Edward explained it. It makes such a difference to your ability to play something well

- Patience and understanding -- Edward works with a diverse range of students, from children to adults. As such, he understands the demands of a busy schedule and never makes you feel bad about having a busy week. Instead, he adapts the lesson to wherever you are and whatever you've been able to do.

Alisa A.

Edward is a great piano teacher, I cannot recommend him more! I don't think it's easy to find a good piano teacher, I've been struggling a little with it but I am happy I came across Edward's information, actually here on yelp - so it's nice to be writing this review and to assure that he actually is as good as everyone is writing!
I've been taking lessons for over a year now as an adult beginner. And I am still motivated and interested not only because I like it but also due to Edward's dedication and to him being able to always tell something new. Also he is listening to what you want to play and is open to different types of music. So I really appreciate him being flexible though in general he has structural classical approach to lessons which I personally think is a plus.
Also I feel safe coming to his home and taking private lessons - I have to mention this because I had a really bad experience in that regard with other teacher I took a few lessons with.

Olivia S.

Edward is a fantastic piano teacher! I am pretty particular in terms of what I look for from a teacher -- someone who will hold me accountable and really help me grow as a piano player, who makes sure I dedicate the time to practicing and instructs me on how to play mindfully to get the most out of the music.

Unfortunately I moved out of state not long after beginning lessons, but what I appreciated the most about him was how he worked to get me "beyond the notes." I brought a handful of songs to him that I had been playing for some time, and he was really working to help get me to the next level by taking a nuanced approached to each and every part of the song. While this sometimes meant we didn't make a ton of progress in terms of quantity every lesson, he was definitely improving the quality of my songs so I didn't mind when we didn't make a ton of headway in one day. He also had me work on some really fundamental but integral technical skills to get warmed up and stay mindful about hitting each key.

He really cares as a teacher, too. He would send me emails with a selection of songs to gauge what I thought and if I would be interested to learn them, which I really liked. He charged $60/hour, and was always willing to go over by ten minutes if he had the time. I wish that I had gotten to work with him for a longer amount of time, I'm sure I would have come away with some really impressive and full pieces! I highly recommend taking lessons from him.

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From Mark E. Adams .

My name is Mark, I am 58 years old, and have been taking piano lessons from Edward Nemirovsky for a little over two years. My lifelong dream is to play classical piano. Edward’s teaching style and patience is exactly the way he describes himself on his website in About Me. Let’s face it, at 58, the brain and fingers are not nimble as a child’s. So finding a teacher who understands this is important. We did not spend months drilling and playing practice pieces but worked on simplified classical pieces. As I have now progressed and my sight reading and fingers are used to playing the piano, we are now focusing on drills and scales for finger stretching and strengthening techniques to enrich the sound of my playing. Although, some pieces are simplified, they are still difficult to play and thus rewarding. My goal is to play various classical compositions in their original key and version. With Edward’s help, and the way he breaks down difficult technique, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. In truth, I would have no problem today, sitting down at a piano and playing. Thank you Edward!!!

Mark E. Adams

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From "- Morgan, Investment Professional"

Edward is a real teacher. I came to Edward with some prior background in music, but not in piano. He has been very thoughtful about finding just the right kinds of repertoire for me to work on, appropriate exercises for development of good piano technique and necessary understanding of theory. He’s particularly good at perceiving my specific obstacles to improvement, and then coming up with a tailored approach to get me past them. As I have improved, he has continually adapted his teaching style to make sure I am getting the most out of my actual lessons as well as my practice time outside of lessons.

In short, I feel very lucky to have had the privilege of being Edward’s student over the past few years. He is a dedicated teacher who combines a highly tailored teaching philosophy with an affable personality to deliver conservatory quality instruction.

- Morgan, student since 2007

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From Mack Lena. Professional Copywriter, Amateur Piano Player.

I first studied piano for 5 years as a child, quitting at the age of 14. I spent my adult years regretting that dumb decision. And then I found a flyer from Edward Nemirovsky in my Queens Apartment lobby, offering free initial lessons to interested wannabe pianists at any level.

My goal was to be able once again just to sit at a keyboard and be able to read the notes of Jazz and Pop standards. With Edward's unique skills and innovative methodology, I've far exceeded my expectations. He's taken be well beyond simply playing the correct notes to discovering the essence of the music that we interpret together. He's helped me understand the similarities between the jazz that I've loved all my adult life and the classical repertoire he's introduced me to.

Edward's approach is to put practice before theory; he had me playing better than I ever thought I could during the very first lesson I had with him. The more I play in practice, ironically, the more I actually learn in theory! And I love the fact that none of the many questions I ask him are ignored; he always finds a way to use my curiosity as motivation to improve.

Thanks to Edward Nemirovsky, I'm one old dog who continues to learn new musical tricks!

Mack Lena.

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From Evelyn Carrigan

I found Edward by searching the Internet. I was impressed by his experience, and by the other testimonials, so i thought I'd give it a try. That was a year ago, and still, to this day, I find myself looking forward to my lesson - not as a necessary task, but as an hour of hidden surprises. I never know how my lesson will progress, especially if I've had a busy week and didn't practice much. But Edward is undaunted...and reassuring. In his warm and encouraging style, he finds ways for us to work together to get me closer to my goal, even when that goal shifts and changes. Edward is versatile, and he's able to adapt his information and teaching technique as we learn together what it is I should be focusing on next.

Edward is a blessing, and I highly recommend him - especially to adult learners.

Evelyn Carrigan Tel: 917-671-6175

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Anthony White

Over the past year, I've had the privilege of having Edward guide me on my own musical journey, as i endeavor to become a songwriter, and to become a single act, playing my own accompaniment for my vocals. The brillance of his instruction lies in his ability to customize his lessons to your needs, your resources and your learning style, selecting various exercises and pieces to optimize your growth. Another aspect that I appreciate is the respect he has for his craft and for the craft of the student; it helps the student begin to identify as a musician and to build confidence, components essential for learning, especially as an adult beginner. I would certainly recommend him to anyone seeking to begin or to further his/her studies in piano or music composition.

Anthony White

Tel: 718 564-0474

From Veronica and Jon Lurvey.

The Blackstone Group. 345 Park Avenue, 29th Floor | New York City, NY 10154

Tel: 212-583-5584 | Cell: 646-734-6217 lurvey@blackstone.com

We recommend Edward as an outstanding piano teacher for children or adults. Edward taught piano to our son, Jacob, beginning at 7 years old until we moved. Edward has a great presence and approach and Jacob looked forward to his lessons. We know that Edward is attuned to the needs of children as students with sensitivity to their energy level and attention span. At the same time, his approach is rigorous and really provided Jacob with a solid foundation for a lifetime of piano.

Veronica and Jon Lurvey.

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From Louiza F. – investment professional.

I’ve played piano for 7 years as a child. After twenty years of busy life and little memory of my previous repertoire, I’ve decided to give it a new start. Randomly looking online for many months, I came across Edward’s website and decided to finally do something in order to realize my dream of playing piano again. I’ve been practicing with Edward for almost two years. His patience, reassurance and genuine interest in my progress have been so helpful. Each lesson has been extremely positive and allowed me to gain confidence in my ability to play again. No matter how hectic my schedule could be as a working mom, Edward has been so encouraging and flexible, always helping me to review what we have learned (if I had no time to practice) and to learn something new giving me a new goal to reach. I am so happy to see the progress I’ve made with Edward’s help. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a piano teacher.

Louiza

Email: louisamt@yahoo.com>

Tel. 917-744-6994

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From Tessie Dumaual. (Retired)

I am a 67-yr old retiree who stopped taking piano lessons when I came to the US 36 years ago. Only after retiring did I think of taking lessons again. I found Edward Nemirovsky’s name in the internet and was lucky to have him as my teacher. He is a very patient teacher and knows how to get one motivated to practice and improve one’s playing. Of course 90% of the advancement comes from being disciplined in practicing ones lessons. Luckily, when I was growing up, my former teacher taught me the necessity of such discipline. With Edward, he taught me the joy of playing a piece that is played well. I still have a lot to learn but Edward knows how to pace the lessons so it gets to be a normal part of one’s technique in a natural way.

Tessie Dmaual.

From Sebastian Moscoso

Hello i am Sebastian Moscoso. Edward has been teaching me for about 8 to 9 months and i really enjoy my classes! here i play "The Happy Farmer" and i think Edward is my best teacher yet.

Sebastian Moscoso

Tel: 718-424-3220

From Dmitri Yanov – Yanovsky. Well-known modern composer. Contemporary Music Festival's founder and artistic director.

Having known Edward Nemirovsky for more than twenty years and I'm more than glad to write on his behalf and recommend Edward highly both as a composer and as a music teacher. First of all I would like to say that I genuinely love Edward’s music. Among his many wonderful works, I would single out his String Quartet, Humoresque for viola and piano and Chamber Symphony as being truly exceptional. Edward Nemirovsky has created a musical language that is exciting and profound while remaining personal and expressive.

The finesse and the intelligence found in Edward Nemirovsky’s music extend to his pedagogy. As a teacher, Edward Nemirovsky attempts to find a distinct way of approaching each individual student. Edward does this in order to help students discover and cultivate their individual strengths. This approach guarantees the best results regardless of the student’s background. At the core of Mr. Nemirovsky’s approach to teaching is a belief that there is no such thing as failure; every attempt at musical expression can be a learning experience. With Edward Nemirosky as their teacher, all students are guaranteed to have a happy, informative, and productive journey through the world of music. I highly recomend him and without any reservations.

Dmitri Yanov – Yanovsky.