Piano Faculty
Teresa Yu
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Teresa Yu is the Founder & Director of Amabile School of Music in San Francisco & Moraga, California. She enjoys her life-long career as a musician, an educator, an entrepreneur and a mother of two beautiful children. Ms. Yu started playing the piano since she was 5 years old and never stopped. She had gone through rigorous musical training and program in Taiwan, Japan and throughout the US where she has won several competitions including first prize at the New England Piano Teachers Association, the San Francisco Young Pianists Competition, and the Berkeley Piano Club Competition, and the first prize in Mu Phi Epsilon Competition. Ms. Yu has performed the Bach Double Piano Concerto in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. As the winner of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Concerto Competition, she performed Saint-saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Conservatory Orchestra. She was invited to perform the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with Symphony of the Redwoods and the Liszt Piano concerto No. 1 with Redwood Symphony. She performed in many masterclasses that were conducted by world-famous artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Stephan Hough, Murray Perahia and more. She was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as a part of the Conservatory Project. She also participated in Music@Menlo International Music Festival as a chamber music institute coach and the judge of Chopin Competition in San Francisco and the Hawai'i State Music Competition. Between 2010 to 2012, Ms. Yu toured Europe and America with her piano trio, The Aleron Trio, and gave numerous outstanding performances to people from all over the world. Previous teaching experiences including Notre Dome de Victoires, West Portal Lutheran, Old Mill School, and the Nueva School. Ms. Yu has earned her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and the prestigious Artist Certificate in Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Professor Paul Hersh.
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Ethan Lin
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Dr. Ethan Lin earned his Master of Music degree in Percussion Studies from New York University and Professional Studies Diploma degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with the prestigious principal percussion of the San Francisco Symphony, Jack Van Geem. In 2015, Dr. Lin earned his doctoral degree in Percussion Performance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Ricardo Flores and William Moersch. Specializing in marimba playing, his doctoral thesis is on the unique six-mallet marimba techniques in selected works.
Dr. Lin’s concerto experiences include Alfred Reed’s Concertino for Marimba and Ming-Shong Li’s Chinese Drum Concerto with the school orchestras in Taiwan (2005 and 2007). As a soloist, he has performed numerous recitals and has been active in orchestra and ensemble performances. Recently, he was invited to perform Steve Reich's marimba ensemble work, Six Marimbas, with the San Francisco Symphony members for celebrating the composer's 80th birthday at Davies Symphony Hall. Dr. Lin had participated in various music festivals, such as Nancy Zeltsman Marimba Festival (2010 & 2015), Keiko Abe Marimba Academy (2013), and SoundSCAPE (2014). In 2007, he won the first prize in the percussion category of Taiwan Music Competition. In addition to performing, Dr. Lin enjoys teaching as well. Having plenty of experience coaching percussion ensemble and teaching private lessons, Dr. Lin recently teaches percussion lessons and group class in the bay area. His teaching philosophy is to make music enjoyable to students at all times! His wish for his students is to not only gain musical knowledge but also to feel the joy and peace which music brings to them. |
Linda Hsieh
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Originally from Taiwan, Linda holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from Tunghai University and a Master's Degree in Music Business from New York University. Since then, she has worked in the artist management field with such artists as violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Daniela Liebman. She has assisted in the production of the Grammy-nominated album Fiddler on the Roof and has coordinated PBS and Live From Lincoln Center productions with Grammy award-winning violinist Joshua Bell in Joshua Bell: Seasons of Cuba and internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang in New York Rhapsody.
Her teaching experience includes teaching piano, viola, and violin students at the International School of Beijing Beijing, China, and at Music School Flushing. Queens, New York. Linda has worked with students ranging from young children to adults, her teaching emphasizes on laying down a good foundation without missing out on the fun of making music. She has excellent subject knowledge, a good sense of humor, and a strong desire to provide students with a high-quality education. Through teaching music, Linda wishes to inspire her students with the language of music and the culture it represents. |
Chuan-Li Ko
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Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Chuan-Li Ko recently graduated from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) where he obtained his DMA in Piano Performance. He also holds the Associate, Licentiate and Fellowship (special candidate award) Diplomas in Piano Performance, awarded by the Trinity College of London. He was also a recipient of scholarships and graduate teaching assistantships awarded by several institutions, in which he was appointed to teach Keyboard Skills, Music Theory, and Ear-Training. Chuan-Li picked up the violin during high school and had 4 years of both private and studio violin teaching experience in Malaysia. His violin students all received good grades (strong merit and distinction) in practical exams offered by ABRSM and Trinity College of London.
Chuan-Li has performed extensively as a soloist and vocal and instrumental collaborative pianist at various setting such as recitals and competitions. His most recent collaborations in the past five years include “Around the World in 6 Hands and 88 Keys” at National Taichung Theater (Taiwan), “A Feast of Pianistic Wonders” where he shared the stage with another 3 pianists alongside the KLPAC orchestra, “Connecting the Dots” - a percussion-piano duo recital at DPAC (Malaysia), “Music of the Night” in which he was featured as a soloist presenting Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, “Rach’d” - a joint recital featuring only Rachmaninov’s piano works and art songs at Esplanade Recital Studio (Singapore), “Mikado" with James Madison University Opera, and Saint-Saëns's Organ Symphony with Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. In spite of the global pandemic, Chuan-Li has been ardently involved in many projects and music competitions nationally and internationally. His recent achievements and contributions to the field include winning the Best Student Essay for 2021 Global Music Summit and emerging as the 1st runner-up of Charleston Music Festival 2020. Also, he virtually premiered Pump#5 for Percussion and Piano Duo at Music by Women Festival and Hot Air Music Festival respectively, written by Professor Dana Kaufman from University California at Riverside. In addition to that, Chuan-Li was also invited to present several topics in webinars, one of them being the ‘Emotional Expression in Classical Music’ hosted by Discussion et Rationalité. The presentation revolved around the importance of logicality in music performance. He discussed substantially how critical thinking and planning facilitate the process of emotional expression from the theoretical and performance perspectives, which is one of the aspects he highly values in piano teaching. Chuan Li is also a member of the Debonair Malaysia, a four-piano ensemble group, as well as Klaviercussion, a percussion-piano duo ensemble. He founded the duo group Klaviercussion with the aim of elevating public interest and appreciation for percussion-piano ensemble literature and modern music. Through this distinctive instrumentation, Chuan-Li and his collaborative partner seek to present some of the most innovative musical ideas and elements that contemporary composers intended to deliver in their compositions. |
Hilary Thompson
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“My parents always had classical music blasting on the record player and we all went to lots of concerts,” Hilary says. “I loved singing in school and church choirs when I was young.” In grade school, Hilary’s grandmother gave her a tiny little electric organ with a book, and Piano lessons followed, continuing through high school. Hilary went on to UC Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music, with an emphasis on piano and performance. She’s taught piano both privately and at the San Francisco Community Music Center for over 24 years. She was even a church music director for a number of years in Point Richmond.
Hilary offers an individualized approach, tailored to fit each student's learning style while building essential pianistic and musicianship skills. She loves fostering students' enjoyment of music-making by encouraging students to help select repertoire pieces. All genres of music are appreciated and added along with a steady mix of standard classical piano literature. |
Erin Ichimura
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Erin Ichimura is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. A gifted soprano, she has performed in numerous concerts with Cal Poly’s Chamber Choir, including San Luis Obispo’s Bach Week. She has performed in multiple recitals at Cal Poly and participated in Cal Poly’s Opera Program. During her time as a student, she tutored new music majors for entrance-level ear training and music theory classes. Throughout her career, she has toured to locations in California to sing with Cal Poly Choirs and to New York’s Carnegie Hall to collaborate with other choirs for a performance of Haydn’s Te Deum and Mozart’s Missa Brevis. In 2019 she traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, where she participated in a lab choir for novice conductors, led group warm-ups for Kenyan music students, and performed solo art music. Erin recently completed her senior project, which included a fifty-minute solo recital. She is passionate about teaching piano and voice lessons at Amabile. Erin is also a laureate of the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
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Ichko Batnasan
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Ichinkhorloo Batnasan who is better known as Ichko, was born in Mongolia and began taking piano lessons at the age of 7. At 10, she won first prize in the “Tchaikovsky” Junior Pianists Competition, Ulaanbaatar. At 11, she won the Grand Prix at the 4 th National Junior Pianist’s Competition and at 14, won 1 st prize at the 3 rd National Junior Pianists Competition, Ulaanbaatar. At 14 she also won 3 rd prize in the “KhaanKhuur” National Piano competition, Ulaanbaatar. At 15, she traveled to China where she won 2 nd prize at the International Baotou Piano Competition, and at 16, an Honorable Mention at the International Competition Cidade do Fundão, Portugal.
In May, 2013 Ichko was awarded the American Protégé International Music Competition, New York, USA prize to perform at the Carnegie Hall. Undeterred, Ichko completed the first two years of her Bachelor of Music degree in Ulaanbaatar, and third year at the Universidad X el Sabio, Madrid, in 2014, in Prof. Mendma Dorzhin’s class, before completing her undergraduate degree in 2016, as “Best Student of the Year” at the Mongolian National University of Arts, in Professor Enkhtur Tsendorj’s class with the highest academic honors. This story of hard work, determination, and exceptional achievement continued and led her to come to America to study with renowned concert pianist Dr. Woodward at San Francisco State University. She enrolled in his class in 2019, with a scholarship and completed her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with honor in 2021. Ichko is also experienced in teaching. She has 10 years of experience in one on one lessons for students of all ages. She likes to inspire her students not only in music but also in life. She also gets new experiences from each of her students. Her students have participated in numerous competitions and festivals and been awarded. Ichko believes that every student has their own way of learning and expressing and her piano lesson will tailor according to each student’s personality and learning style. |
Lucas Bere
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California-native Lucas Bere is an active performer, composer, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lucas teaches piano, saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Every student learns differently, and Lucas adapts his teaching style to best fit each student. Some of Lucas’ students have gone on to participate in regional honor bands, as well as perform and receive recognition at festivals across the country. Lucas’ goal as an educator is to instill a passion for music in all of his students, regardless of whether they become professional musicians.
Lucas graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a Bachelor of Music in Performance. Prior to attending Berklee, he was a Saxophone Fellow at the Dave Brubeck Institute - a highly competitive program which accepts just five musicians at a time. Lucas’ studies include training in classical, jazz, and contemporary disciplines. Lucas has studied under renowned artists including Stefon Harris, Ed Simon, Shannon LeClaire, Joe Gilman, Dino Govoni, Wendy Rolfe, David Henderson, Matt Krejci, and Mike McMullen. |
Chenchen Li
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Pianist Chenchen Li began her piano studies at the age of five with Ms. Gu Xin in China until she received her Bachelor of Music degree from Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2011, Ms. Li studied with the renowned piano professor, Nancy Weems at the University of Houston where she has received double Master Degrees in Piano Performance & Piano Pedagogy. As a soloist, Ms. Li has performed in many chamber and solo recitals at Xinhai Recital Hall, City Concert Hall, and Nieer Recital Hall in Chengdu; Dudley Recital Hall, Duncan recital hall, and Moores Opera House in Houston, TX. Also, she was the winner of numerous competitions such as the Hong Kong Schumann International Piano Competition, the Xinhai Cup Sichuan Piano competition, the TOYAMA Asian Young Piano Competition.
Not only is she a gifted performer but she is also experienced in teaching. She has 8 years of extensive teaching experience in one-on-one lessons and group classes for students of all ages. As a member of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), and Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), her students have participated in numerous events such as ensemble performances, local competitions and theory exams. During her lessons, each student is recognized as a unique individual and her piano lesson will tailor according to each student’s personality and learning style. Ms. Li truly enjoys watching her students grow. Her students always find satisfaction and fulfillment in the pursuit of furthering musical expression through their piano study with Ms. Li. She is thankful to be able to pass on her knowledge to her students, and at the same time, to learn new experiences through teaching each one of her students. |
Alanna Rantala
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Alanna (Battat) Rantala holds degrees from the University of CA, Davis (B.A. Music), and New England Conservatory (M.M. Piano Performance) where she studied with renowned pianist Leonard Shure. Born in NYC to musical parents, she grew up in northern CA where she was a soloist with 5 symphonies as a teenager. She has performed in several cities throughout the US, as well as London and Australia. Alanna has been on the faculties of Boston’s Community Music Center, Brookline’s Yamaha Music School, Fitchburg State University, Worcester’s Joy of Music Program, and did vocal accompanying for Holy Cross College. She recorded “Winter Music” by John Cage for MODE records (1991). Her students have won awards for performance and composition.
Her freelance performing includes collaborative piano and the US premiere of “Serpents Mecanique” by George Antheil. She served on the Board and co-chaired the Composers Group for the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society. In 2016 Alanna released her first solo album of original piano music, titled "Recognize,” followed by “Search for Serenity,” recorded during the lockdown in 2020. Alanna is passionate about teaching and enjoys working with students of all ages and levels. She believes in developing a strong classical foundation and she also encourages creativity. Lesson assignments are tailored to meet individual needs along with musical interests. Her main goal for students is to find enjoyment in learning to play while developing a lifetime love for music! |
Brennan Stokes
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A Southern Californian turned San Franciscan, Brennan is a teacher, composer, pianist, and tenor. He received his Master’s Degree in Music Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in May of 2019 under the mentorship of David Garner, and participated in masterclasses with David Conte and Jack Perla. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Piano Performance from Pacific Union College in 2013, where he studied piano with Dr. Lynn Wheeler, voice with Bruce Rasmussen, and both composition and conducting with Asher Raboy, who was the former music director of the Napa Valley Symphony for over 20 years. Within the last 2 years, he has written vocal works in the realms of chorus, art song, and opera utilizing texts from both poets/writers of the past and present, as well as writing original texts, and has also composed several instrumental chamber works.
Brennan is excited to spread his passion for music with those who wish to explore their artistic potential and believes that everyone is capable, and should find some way, of expressing themselves creatively. |
Zoe Lee
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Zoe Lee, a musical artist aiming to connect people together through music as an artist and educator. She began her musical journey learning piano at the age of 4 and has studied all kinds of classical music from the piano repertoires. As a cellist, she was awarded prizes in numerous competitions of solo performance and chamber music in Taiwan. In 2018, Zoe served as the principal cellist in the Zhong Zheng Symphony Orchestra. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, Zoe has appeared in many music festivals throughout the world, and has had the privilege of taking lessons and masterclasses with Lynn Harrell, Wen-Sinn Yang, Yovan Markovitch, Yehuda Hanani, Johannes Moser, Astrid Schween, and the Formosa Quartet, among others.
As a cello and piano teacher, Zoe focuses on the uniqueness of students of all ages. What she values the most is to physically develop the technical foundation and mentally grow the healthy mindset for the musical journey. Her teaching method is assembled from what she learned from all the masters and is customized for each individual's distinctive characters. Her mission is to provide a positive and inspiring musical environment for students to stimulate the beautiful sound deep inside their hearts and encourage them to share this with people. With the Vincent Constantino Scholarship for Cello, she is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree with Professor Jean-Michel Fonteneau at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, literature and photography. |
Vivien Kong
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Pianist and oboist Vivien Kong received her Master’s Degree from the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music, and her Bachelor’s Degree from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music with the Ihnatowycz Emerging Artist Award. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Vivien has over twenty years of piano performance experience and nine years of orchestral experience playing the oboe. She teaches one-on-one lessons and group classes to children and adults from beginner to advanced level. She also teaches RCM and ABRSM examination materials. She speaks fluent Mandarin and English, and can teach in both languages. Vivien has a strong passion for teaching. She believes music helps children be more intuned with their thoughts and emotions, as well as broadening their minds, giving them a creative outlet to be themselves. Vivien deeply values each individual's unique learning style, and always develops a personalized way of teaching that best suits their strengths and weaknesses. It is her priority to make each student feel special, valued and encouraged. Vivien is driven to inspire her students to explore and appreciate the beauty of music, and to help them create their own. |
Sungmin Lee
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Sungmin Lee is a classical guitarist from South Korea who is currently based in San Francisco, California. He started piano training when he was four years old and his passion for music grew at a young age of 12, when he grew interest in finger style guitar. Sungmin then discovered his love for classical music, sparking his interest in studying classical guitar.
Sungmin has received several prizes and wide recognitions in competitions during his guitar career—highlights include the Great Lakes Guitar Festival, Eastman Guitar Concerto Competition, Lone Star Guitar Festival and SF Bay Classical Guitar Competition. He has also performed in several reputable master classes with Jorge Caballero, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Manuel Barrueco, and Matthew McAllister. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Sungmin received his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance in addition to the Performer’s Certificate. By May 2020, he will receive his Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At SFCM, his primary teacher is Judicaël Perroy and prior teachers include Nicholas Goluses, Thomas Viloteau, and Leighann Narum. |
Yea-Ming Chen
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Ms. Yea-Ming is a singer-songwriter, musician, actor and composer based in Oakland, California. A classically trained pianist and a graduate of the music program at the University of California Berkeley, Yea-Ming fell in love with rock music along the way and began writing songs as a young adult and has never stopped. She has released 7 studio-recorded albums and is featured in 20+ more. Most recently, her music and acting is displayed prominently in the feature film I Will Make You Mine (2020) which premiered at SXSW.
As a piano teacher, Yea-Ming recognizes the uniqueness of each student and takes the time to understand their learning style, musical tastes, and personality. She approaches her lessons in a fun and creative way while expanding a student’s appreciation for music as well as instilling a solid foundation in music theory. |
Sylvia Mau
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Sylvia has played the piano for over 14 years, and she has had experience working with children age 4 and above in one-on-one and classroom settings. She has completed the ABRSM piano exams through grade 8.
As a music instructor, she is engaging and fun. She is constantly searching and finding new resources that will make the lesson experience for the student refreshing and inspiring. She aims to provide a positive and effective teaching method in piano and music in general. Sylvia is currently earning her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at U.C. Berkeley. |
Sarah Jaegers
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Originally from Holland, Michigan, Dr. Sarah Korneisel Jaegers teaches piano, clarinet, and saxophone at Amabile. Dr. Jaegers’s first instrument was the piano, which she began learning at the age of 10. Her primary instructors include Mary Van Voorst and Dr. Wan-Chin Chang. She began performing in solo recitals and accompanying for church services shortly thereafter. She strongly believes that each student has a unique voice to contribute to the world of music. As a teacher, Dr. Jaegers instills in her students a deeper love and understanding of music, guides them toward the achievement of their aspirations, and aids them in the discovery of their own distinctive voice through the development of confident self-directed learning, critical thinking, and healthy performance practices. Her studio is a fun, welcoming environment that engages students and encourages them to grow as musicians. She believes that music enriches lives and communities and aims to inspire joy and creativity and cultivate musicianship in her students.
Dr. Jaegers earned her DMA degree from The Ohio State University, her MM from Michigan State University, and her BM and BA in Spanish from Iowa State University. |
Ann Tung
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Ann has obtained her Master’s of Music degree from San Francisco State University. She is a
classical and jazz pianist and has taught piano for quite some time. Ann has participated in Jazz bands as a pianist and has played in festivals such as San Jose Jazz Festival, Alameda County Fair, and Milpitas Jazz Festival. She has also performed piano in nonprofit events as well as church events of different functions. Ann started learning piano since early childhood and has attended experimental music program in primary school and high school. Besides piano, Ann also played cello as a minor and has toured throughout the United States as the principal chair in the orchestra in college. |
Fiona Cheng
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Originally from Hong Kong, Fiona is a pianist and a singer. She studied piano at the age of twelve and completed her ABRSM grade 8 exam. Fiona holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from San Francisco State University and a Master Degree of Music Education from Holy Names University.
Fiona has been teaching piano and music to students from preschoolers to adolescents. In addition to teaching music, she sings in local community choruses including the San Francisco Choral Society and the San Francisco City Chorus. As a piano teacher, Fiona teaches music theory, piano technique and musical expression. She believes that these are the basic skills that her students should have as pianists. |
Matthew Gaspar
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Matthew started playing the piano at the age of five. After graduating from U.C. San Diego with a degree in General Biology, he soon discovered his passion and joy in piano teaching and has been pursuing this career since.
Through his 14 years of teaching piano to students ages 5 and above, he decided to guide his students to discover the fun of playing the piano by focusing on creating a solid foundation of the fundamentals of note reading, rhythm, and finger and hand positions. By building his students’ confidence by constantly encouraging them, he aims to help his students find their own passion for playing the piano in the genre of music that inspires them. |