MTAC Santa Clara County Branch

Presenter: Dr. Betty Woo

Date: Wednesday, April. 8th , 2026

Time: 10 AM PST – 12 Noon

Topic: A lecture recital on music by Amy Beach and Florence Price that are suitable for students.

Zoom Link: Will be sent via email

Pieces Dr. Woo would perform and talk:
Amy Beach (1867-1944): Selected Piano Pieces in Progressive Order of Difficulty
1: “Columbine” from Young People’s Carnival Op 25
2: “Pantalon” from Young People’s Carnival
3: “Harlequin” from Young People’s Carnival
4: By the Still Waters Op 114
5: From Blackbird Hills Op 83
6: “Honeysuckle” from Grandmother’s Garden Op. 95
7: A Hermit Thrush at Morn Op 92 No 2
8:“Fire-Flies” from 4 Sketches Op 15

Florence Price (1887or8-1953): Selected Piano Pieces in Progressive Order of Difficulty
1: Tickling Toes
2: The Goblin and the Mosquito
3: Sailing through Clouds
4: Scherzetto in C major
5: Mosquitos in Convention
6: Jolly Jinks
7: The Old Deserted Hut
8: A Wee Bit of Erin
9: Forest Scenes 1
10: The Mill
11: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
12: Tempo di Valse

Betty Woo received a D.M.A. degree in performance practice from Stanford University. Ms. Woo has made solo appearances in London, New York, Hong Kong and throughout California. Ms Woo is an experienced teacher, formerly professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at Holy Names University, and currently teaches piano at University of California, Berkeley. She has conducted masterclasses and given numerous lectures to many teachers’ groups in California and at the conservatories of Shanghai and Hong Kong, Because of her wide interest in many musical areas, her lectures have ranged from baroque performance practice to contemporary repertoire.

Presenter: JungHae Kim

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 14th , 2026

Time: 10 AM PST – 12 Noon

Topic:  Introduction of Historically Informed Performance and 

Understanding How Baroque Notation Differs from Modern notation.

Zoom Link: Will be sent via email

Korean born Harpsichordist JungHae Kim earned diplomas in harpsichord performance at the Peabody Institute, Oberlin Conservatory, and Sweelinck Conservatorium. Her performances have been described as inspired, fluid, engaging, emotionally exquisite, warm, and inviting. Her unique style blends a sparkling virtuoso technique with a gentle and lyrical sensibility that makes music of this genre instantly accessible to the modern ear. Kim is a Professor of Music Theory and Musicianship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Lecturer in Harpsichord at Stanford University.

Presenter: Irina Gorin

Date: Wednesday, October 8th, 2025

Time: 10 AM PST – 12 Noon

Topic:  Developing Healthy Technique and Musicality from the First Piano Lessons

Zoom Link: Will be sent via email

Irina Gorin, born in Kiev, Ukraine, holds Master’s Degrees in Piano Performance, Pedagogy, Chamber Ensemble, and Accompaniment from Kiev Music College and Kharkov Conservatory. With over 30 years of experience, she is recognized as a leading pedagogue for children, with her students continuing their education at top U.S. institutions. She regularly conducts workshops, masterclasses, and serves as a judge for piano competitions. Her internationally acclaimed method book series, Tales of a Musical Journey, blends Russian and American pedagogical traditions and has been published in over seven languages and 50 countries. She is also the founder and former president of the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition.

Presenter: Dr. Stephen Pierce

Date: Wednesday, May 14th, 2025

Time: 10 AM PST – 12 Noon

Topic: Peak Performance Preparation

Zoom Link: Please check email

Stephen Pierce is a leader in the field of piano pedagogy, and enjoys a varied career as a teacher, presenter, performer, researcher, and adjudicator. He serves on the keyboard studies faculty at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where he oversees the keyboard pedagogy and secondary piano programs and teaches applied piano, and courses in piano pedagogy, and keyboard literature. He is also an Academic Ambassador for the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), an RCM certified teacher, and teaches at Interlochen Arts Camp each summer.

Presenter: Amy Mitani

Date: Wednesday, March 12th, 2025

Time: 10 AM PST – 12 Noon

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85478267818

Topic: Transforming Adult Piano Education: The Power of Cohort Learning and Nontraditional Methods

Presenter: Christopher Fisher

Date: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

Time: 10 AM PST

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86969247527?pwd=Zbj73Na3fYtxtLRlOOa6JBEyZCbsle.1

Topic: Motivation, Mindset, and Grit; the Powerful Role of Parents;
A Practical Guide to Student Practice

Dr. Christopher Fisher is Professor of Piano at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where he co-chairs the Keyboard Division. He is the Artistic Director of the Ohio University Piano Pedagogy Seminar and is a Faculty Fellow for the 1804 Scholars Program. Dr. Fisher is the author of Teaching Piano in Groups, co-author of the revised and expanded edition of Piano Duet Repertoire, and co-author of Functional Skills for Pianists. To find more about him, check his website below:
http://www.chrisfisherpiano.com/

Presenter: Ory Shihor

Date: Wednesday, January 8th, 2025

Time: 10 am

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83177708740

Topic: Physical Gestures at the Piano – When Musical Expression Meets Kinesics

Bio: Ory Shihor is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning pianist and renowned master teacher who has spent the last 25 years helping young gifted pianists develop their musical talent to its fullest potential.

He has helped countless students ace their college auditions and get accepted into the world’s top music conservatories and universities, such as The Juilliard School and Yale University.

To date, his students have received over $3 million in scholarship offers, performing on the world’s premiere stages and winning top prizes in prestigious piano competitions.

A graduate of Juilliard and Curtis, Mr. Shihor is a frequent speaker and master class teacher at major conservatories and universities around the globe such as the Beijing and Shanghai Conservatories, Seoul National University, Taiwan National Normal University, Northwestern University, San Francisco Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and the Royal Northern College of Music.

For over a decade, he served as piano professor at the Colburn Conservatory and as founding dean of its pre-college academy for highly gifted young musicians.

After a 20-year teaching career in higher education, Mr. Shihor co-founded the Ory Shihor Institute (OSI) together with his wife, Maria Liu, where he continues to teach young gifted pianists and train a new generation of piano teachers using his proven teaching approach.

Ory Shihor is a Bösendorfer and Yamaha artist.

Are you interested in learning more about what sets Piano Safari apart from other methods? Join co-author and internationally respected pedagogue Katherine Fisher as she provides an overview of this highly acclaimed piano series that is revolutionizing piano teaching and learning around the world. Topics covered include the essentials of elementary technique, the development of reading and rhythm, and incorporating improvisation into lessons for beginners. 

Presenter：Katherine Fisher
Time: Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 10 AM PST
Zoom Link：
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2395165866

The upcoming monthly program Daily Rituals of the Modern Music Teacher is about organization and studio management. It includes technology and apps, studio policy must-haves. Here is the  landing page and registration URL for Santa Clara branch members. Upon registration, members will receive the Zoom link.

Landing Page URL: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/pqnjk4k/lp/5a2b0e84-87d0-4107-b9cd-e6df8c2f1753
Registration URL: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/pqnjk4k

Presenter: Noreen Wenjen

Time: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 10 AM PST

After a relaxing summer, we are ready to start the new academic year! Our annual branch general meeting will cover topics including monthly programs, branch recitals, Steinway Society concerts, and scholarship foundation.  Please join us on:

September 11, Wednesday, 10 AM, via Zoom  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85404037961

I look forward to seeing you!