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Lucia at Academy of Music Triumph Music Festival

Lucia at Academy of Music Triumph Music Festival

Alighieri Studio’s Spring 2022 Recital

Alighieri Studio’s Spring 2022 Recital

Zoe at Weill

Zoe at Weill

Warmup/Dress rehearsal at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, PIPC 2019

James 2014

James 2014

With my student James - his last recital with me before his first year of undergrad for piano performance!

PIPC 2019 Zoe and Sean

PIPC 2019 Zoe and Sean

Proud teacher with students Zoe and Sean backstage at Carnegie Hall

Sean 2019

Sean 2019

Sean at our spring recital 2019

The Studio 2016

The Studio 2016

Winter Recital 2016

Backstage 2016

Backstage 2016

Backstage shenanigans

With sweet girl Chloe, May 2016

With sweet girl Chloe, May 2016

My students are also so supportive of my performing career! Chloe came to one of my concerto performances!

Spring Recital 2016

Spring Recital 2016

Spring Recital 2016, right before I returned to Juilliard!

Vuk

Vuk

Vuk studying his music before his lesson in the infamous comfy chair

Point Counterpoint 2015

Point Counterpoint 2015

Teaching never stops even in the summer! With husband, and two talented girls, Rachel and Chloe, that we coached in their chamber groups

Yadany

Yadany

Yadany in a lesson

The Lineup - Winter 2013

The Lineup - Winter 2013

Sometimes, we don't get a backstage, so students practice their good audience skills while staying organized.

Summer 2012 Recital

Summer 2012 Recital

At Hunter College Ida K. Lang Recital Hall

Teaching and Private Lessons

In the private studio with Candace, there is a tremendous focus on independent and critical thinking to achieve a personal and relevant connection with music.  From the youngest beginner to students preparing for college auditions, each student is pushed to observe their technique, listen to themselves and great artists with a critical ear, and find their own unique way of integrating sensation.  Students are approached with honesty and understanding to maximize trust. It is important for me to normalize the difficulties of a challenging art like classical piano, like demystifying technique, while also making the effort to understand the demands and pressures of students of all ages in a firm but fair way.  Cultivating respect towards the skills of discipline, effort, and critical thinking while building the personal teacher-student relationship allows children to find their own unique voice and freedom of expression.  These elements willl build an artistically fulfilling long term relationship with piano for the rest of a student's life.  Students participate in two recitals a year, where building community and support are at the forefront, and are given extra opportunities to participate in competitions, performance exams, and four hands chamber music with their studio-mates.  Current students have performed at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Academy of Music, and more.  They are accepted to prestigious summer festivals in the United States and Europe to further their musical study.  Most importantly, students foster a sense of community with one another!      

Private lessons are generally held at the home studio at the northernmost part of Manhattan, New York, which is also commonly known as Hudson Heights.    Traveling to the home in Manhattan is also an option, but is scheduled very carefully.  Students outside of this area can also connect with Candace at Music Conservatory of Westchester, or study with her at the International Academy of Music in Garfagnana, Burgos Music Festival, or Summit Music Festival in the summers. Because of the heavy emphasis on technique, remote lessons are considered on a case by case basis.  If you are interested in lessons for you or your child, please reach out on our contact page, and read over the studio policy​ for pricing and studio rules.  I ask that parents pay special attention to the policies on attendance and cancellations.

STUDIO HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Students will hand sanitizer upon entry, and are encouraged to mask if they are feeling unwell..  Please give as much notice as possible for illness.  Remote lessons are ALWAYS and option, and preferred to getting sick!

Studio Achievements - click to read more!

STUDENT COMPETITION PRIZES 2025 Student Prizes National Young Maestro Competition Finalists - Micah Darwin Zimmer, Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, Tate Recinos 2024 Student Prizes National Young Maestro Competition Finalists - Laura Vokits Vivo Competition - Vera Felciano, 2nd prize; Ian Hsueh, 2nd prize Little Mozarts International Competition - Margaret Whitthorne, 2nd prize Keyboard Companions Festival and Competition - Lucy Flack, 3rd prize Triumph Music Festival - Audrey Stevens, 1st prize Elite Music Competition - Tate Recinos, 2nd prize Crescendo International Music Competition - Vivian Mennecke Calandra - 2nd prize 2023 Student Achievements Triumph Music Festival - Kassidy Chambers, 1st prize; Laura Vokits, 1st prize; Jeremy Hines, 1st prize East Coast International Competition - Zoe Waring, 3rd prize; Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, 3rd prize Crescendo International Competition - Ian, 1st prize 2022 Student Achievements Elite Music Competition  - Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, 2nd Prize Little Mozarts Competition  - Audrey Stevens, 2nd Prize ; Edoardo Donnianni, 3rd Prize Triumph Music Festival - Vera Felciano 1st Prize; Lucia Manzo - 1st prize Crescendo International Music Competition - Laura Vokits - 3rd prize Vivo International Music Competiton - Zoe Waring, 2nd prize Winter Harbor Music Festival Chamber Music Participants - Michael Waldman and Jeremy Hines 2021 Student Achievements  National Young Maestro Competition Finalists - Eliot Hsueh, Ian Hsueh, Leslie Correa Rondo Young Artist Festival Competition - Jasper Mallorca, Honorable Mention, Audrey Stevens, Honorable Mention Triumph Music Festival  - Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, 1st Prize  Vivo Competition - Darrow Julia O’Brien, 3rd Prize; Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, 3rd Prize 2020 Student Achievements Crescendo International Music Competition - Kassidy Chambers, 2nd prize; Darrow Julia O’Brien, 3rd place Triumph Music Festival - Zoe Waring, 1st Prize, Ian Hsueh, 1st Prize Elite Music Competition  - Zoe Waring 2nd prize; Ian Hsueh, 2nd prize National Young Maestros' Competition - Vivian Mennecke-Calandra - Best Performance of a 20th Century Piece, bronze medal  2019 Student Achievements Pittsburgh International Piano Competition - Channing Sun, 3rd Place, Sean Shen, 3rd Place, Yongxian Ye, Honorable Mention, Zoe Waring, Honorable Mention

STUDENT PERFORMANCES AND FESTIVALS 2025 PERFORMANCES Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall - Tate Recinos Kaufman Music Center Merkin Hall - Micah Darwin-Zimmer, Vivian Mennecke-Calandra 2024 FESTIVALS Summit Music Festival - Ian Hsueh, Tate Recinos, Audrey Stevens Burgos Music Festival - Daphne Chen Matthews, Jeremy Hines, Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, Laura Vokits International Academy of Music Garfagnana - Laura Vokits 2024 PERFORMANCES Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall - Margaret Whitthorne, Zoe Waring, Vivian Mennecke-Calandra Kaufman Music Center Merkin Hall - Laura Vokits Accord Symphony Concerto Festival at University of DC - Jeremy Hines 2023 FESTIVALS International Academy of Music Garfagnana - Zoe Waring, Ian Hsueh, Lucia Manzo, Jeremy Hines, Vivian Mennecke-Calandra, Laura Vokits

Teaching demo video: Anemone Studio Spring Masterclass 2022

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© 2019 by C. Chien.   Proudly created with Wix.com

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