PIANO LESSON

I am passionate about helping students discover what music means to them. Every student arrives with distinct strengths, interests, and ways of learning. My role is to meet them where they are and shape a personalized musical path—one that builds confidence, creativity, discipline, and focus. While I have worked with students of all ages, I am especially drawn to teaching gifted children, teens, and adults who are ready to engage deeply with music and expand their artistic and life experiences through it.

I bring an extensive teaching background to my studio. I began my career as a full-time college faculty member, teaching both private piano instruction and technique as well as academic piano courses for six years. I later relocated to New York City to deliberately reimagine and rebuild my artistic path. That experience deepened my understanding of how passion forges direction—and how each musical journey is distinct. I welcome serious young musicians (with committed family support) and adult students who approach music with curiosity, discipline, and a genuine desire to grow.

In my studio, students work with a wide-ranging repertoire. This includes the expressive lyricism of Chopin and Liszt, the poignant and poetic sound worlds of Ravel and Scriabin, the minimalist clarity of Erik Satie and Philip Glass, and the rhythmic vitality of Bartók and Granados. Beyond classical training, students are encouraged to improvise, arrange, and reinterpret music they love—whether pop by Billie Eilish or Adele, or selections from Broadway shows such as Hadestown and Wicked. Duets, ensemble work, and collaborative projects are an integral part of the studio experience, cultivating musical awareness beyond the solo keyboard.

My students have performed at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, and have earned top honors across a wide range of international competitions. Awards include First, Grand, and Absolute First Prizes at events such as the Ocean Music International Piano Competition, International Grande Music Competition, Petrichor International Music Competition, The Great Piano Masters International Piano Competition (Sviatoslav Richter Prize), New York Laureate International Music Competition, Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition, and the Paderewski International Piano Competition. Additional distinctions include prizes at the Chopin International Piano Competition (Hartford). They have also received Gold recognition from the AADGT Album of the Young Gifted Performers, as well as First Prize and the Baroque Award from the Piano Teachers Congress of New York Honors Program. Students have been accepted into music programs at NYU and the Eastman School of Music, and have participated in elite programs such as the International Summer Academy at Mozarteum University in Austria and the Vivace! International Music Festival.

Beyond performance, many of my students are active composers and creators. They write original music, develop their own artistic voices, and release their work on digital streaming platforms such as Spotify—engaging with music not only as performers, but as independent artists in today’s musical landscape.

To mark their growth, the studio holds an annual recital—an event that emphasizes preparation, presence, and community, while keeping the joy of performance front and center.

Above all, my ultimate goal as an educator is to help students form a lasting, meaningful relationship with music—one that remains relevant, personal, and sustaining throughout their lives.

HOP ON A QUICK CALL WITH ME!

Are you ready to discover what music means to you? I love giving complimentary piano lessons to students for whom I can make the most significant difference in their piano journey. Curious? Then, hop on a quick call to see if you qualify for a complementary piano lesson. Click the button below.

Program

At My Brooklyn Studio

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Events

At My Brooklyn Studio

Online

Events

Meet My Students

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Elizabeth Levine

Elizabeth, age 12, is a multi–award-winning pianist who has already appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Merkin Hall. Since we began working together in 2021, she has distinguished herself in international competitions, earning more than twenty First Prizes. In this award-winning video, she delivers a powerful performance of Chopin’s Ballade No. 1—a work that demands both technical command and emotional depth —and brings both with striking maturity. Elle is an exceptionally dedicated and gifted student whose relentless pursuit of excellence continues to inspire.

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Dave Halpern

Dave became a commercial pilot very recently after 3 decades of working in a senior position in finance at a big IT company. What’s more amazing about him is that he continued his piano journey during such a challenging career transition while being a father of twins! Dave has been studying piano with me for 10 years and now can play Chopin, Satie, Bach, and Joplin. His desire to learn doesn’t stop here – Dave is currently mastering multiple languages, learning new academic subjects….and maybe eventually flying to the moon!?

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Tamrin Gellert Ghai

Tamrin just started her college life this September! Aww…I’ve known her since she was 4 years old while she was watching her elder cousin’s piano lesson with me. I remember Tamrin being so small, sitting quietly with her big eyes wide open! She began her piano studies with me soon after, and fast-forward, she is now writing her original songs with her hits streaming on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music! This vlog was created during the height of the COVID lockdown (May 2020) – in the video, Tamrin tells us how she found a way to use her piano training for her new passion – to be a singer-songwriter!

“Yukimi Song is a talented and dedicated piano teacher who is passionate about providing individualized musical experiences for her students. My daughter Elle has made tremendous progress in all areas with Yukimi’s support. Yukimi has worked with Elle on increasingly challenging repertoire, developed her piano technique, and provided resources for music theory, practice habits, and performing psychology. Yukimi spends significant amounts of time planning for Elle’s immediate and long-term goals. She communicates regularly about expectations and progress, and she provides thorough notes and videos to support practice between lessons. With Yukimi’s support, Elle has won several prizes in international competitions and has had the opportunity to perform in multiple venues, including Carnegie Hall. Elle has overcome performance anxiety, and she approaches her practice and performances with greater confidence and joy.”

"I began piano lessons with Yukimi 10 years ago. Apart from a brief period of studies in my youth, I had no musical training but a great love of music, especially classical music. I feel very fortunate to indulge in this interest and have added a creative dimension to my life for the last decade. Yukimi treats each student as an individual instead of a "one-size-fits-all" formula. I see this from how she works with me to plan my progression to new pieces. She also has a very well-organized approach to her lessons. Since the pandemic, my lessons have been on Zoom but as productive and effective as the in-person experience. Yukimi maintains continuity across our lessons - she has an excellent recollection of our past work and what my prior strengths and challenges were. I have taken instruction in other subjects and found that sometimes busy instructors do not maintain such context with their students. I feel fortunate that I have an instructor who has a similar set of values as my own. Specifically, she believes in helping her students rise to the point beyond simply being 'good enough.' I am still impressed that I have now advanced to start work on my favorite of the waltzes - the C-sharp minor! And I look forward to learning my first Beethoven sonata – Op.2 no.1. - soon."

Our daughter, Nirvrithi, was selected to perform at the Carnegie Hall on July 22 [2022]. During our trip to NY before the performance, she had the opportunity to train under Ms.Yukimi. The lessons were planned meticulously with a drive to perfection. Ms. Yukimi had set up an overall plan to effectively use the sessions to focus on the most important facets, including her posture, playing style, musicality, and her stage presence. Above all, she ensured that Nivi did not feel pressured at any time. We found that Nivi really enjoyed her lessons with Ms.Yukimi, and we decided to continue them even after we returned to India. Ms.Yukimi has a holistic plan for teaching music and helps with other important things such as goal setting, which further motivated Nirvrithi in her musical journey.

"We were so impressed by the progress our daughter made after she started with Yukimi. Our daughter’s note reading, theory, and overall musicality improved significantly. The more and faster our daughter progressed, the more she wanted to practice and she now loves the piano. Yukimi is a serious, skilled, and comprehensive piano teacher who covers sight reading, scales, theory, technique, and harmony. She employs practical strategies to make practicing fun and she motivates our daughter by truly believing in her ability to tackle and overcome challenges each week. In addition, outside of lessons, Yukimi continued to foster a love of piano by encouraging her students to join her at performances and piano competitions. We attended a performance/competition last year, and our daughter enjoyed it very much."

"Yukimi has been a transformational teacher for our daughter, who started studying piano at age 6 and is now almost 14. Yukimi has imparted a love of the piano and a commitment to developing musicianship. We learned early on that Yukimi is devoted to her students and that she will take them as far as they wish to go, matching their effort and dedication along the way. She is kind, loving, practical, and quite tough. This creates structure and discipline in her students. Yukimi also inspires by example; when we first heard her play, we were awestruck! We feel extremely fortunate to have found such a special teacher."

Some teachers teach with half a heart, some teach even with absolutely NO heart; however, Yukimi taught me with full presence and heart. She taught me more than just how to play the piano—she taught me about learning, expressing, and LIFE. Of course, her tips and methods are priceless. She never ceases to amaze me with her piano skills; every time I see and hear her play in performances and demonstrations, it gives me the motivation and inspiration that I need to perform whole-heartedly and musically. I would not be where I am today without her effort and love."

"We have been very happy with our daughter's lessons and growing relationship with Yukimi. She's a knowledgeable and patient teacher who is very much attuned to whom your child is and tailors her approach accordingly. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her lessons and practicing, and when asked about Yukimi, put it best: 'She's just awesome.'"