With over 20 years of experience as a pianist, I offer the finest for events of all kinds, from cocktail parties to fraternity parties and back again. I am an experienced accompanist with excellent sight-reading and improvisational abilities. Special accomodations available upon request. Prompt and courteous service with a smile, and I offer dress from casual to semi-formal, as well as black-tie morning/afternoon wear, or white-tie evening wear. For more information, please contact me via email.
Piano Lessons with Yuri
I offer comprehensive and custom-tailored piano lessons to any who might be interested, with experience teaching all ages, from beginners to advanced players. My specialty is in jazz piano, but my original piano method book (in progress) includes a novel and uniquely targeted path towards success!
Far too many people begin their musical education by learning mechanical finger motions, and not how to speak the language of music — and to love the conversation! My approach is geared towards teaching music first, with a popular / rock / jazz emphasis, leading students to learn how to play fluently, knowing better what they are doing than some music theory professors, and able to play any song they might hear. At the outset, this is perfect for sing-alongs, jam-sessions, dinner music, or the recital / collaborative music circuit.
Topics to explore include chords, scales and modes, fingerings, sight-reading, rhythms, harmony, hand motion, finger placement, improvisation, singing, inflection, phrasing, dynamics, intonation (yes!), pedaling, emotion, composing, arranging, Baroque/Classical/Romantic/Impressionist/20th-Century styles of music, folksongs, Boogie-Woogie, Blues, Rock and Roll, Pop, Jazz/Swing.
For the younger ones (First Grade and up), we’ll focus on enjoying the piano, making sounds, and encouraging bold exploration of the instrument: musical success starts with fearless empowerment!
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of North Carolina, and 20 years of experience in piano study, performance, and teaching. I’ve earned recognition at local and state levels for excellence in jazz piano, and have studied under Ed Paolantonio using Lennie Tristano’s method. As a teacher, I am incredibly patient and attentive to the desires and confidence of my students — in all cases, my goal is to help students to gain confidence in their own ability to explore and learn about all things musical. Ultimately, I ensure that my students are excited and happy musicians.
I’m excited to adapt to your goals, and will be happy to take you in whatever direction you’d like. My rates are reasonable and negotiable based on scheduling and travel requirements. I offer lessons in your home, public studio space, or in my home studio. For more information or to schedule a free first lesson, please contact me via email.
Repertoire
- Hundreds of jazz standards in varied solo arrangements and combo settings.
- Experience with hundreds of classic and modern big band charts from the libraries of Count Basie, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Bob Mintzer, Maynard Ferguson, &c.
- Proficient in techniques such as one and two-hand comping, chordal and melodic improvisational solos, bebop harmony, modal harmony, stride, walking bassline, walking 10ths, block chords, Latin feels, montunos.
- Specific Joplin Rags: Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainer, Search-Light Rag, A Breeze From Alabama, Fig Leaf Rag, Sugar Cane Rag, Ragtime Dance, and several more.
- Seasonal music: Numerous sacred and secular holiday songs available, performed in any style.
- Full repertoire list available.
Experience and Training
As a pianist, I have over twenty years of experience, with training in the St. Louis area from George Broze Jr., Jackie Graham, Michael Laschober, and local bandleader Carol Beth True. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I studied jazz piano under Edmund Paolantonio while participating in the University Jazz Combos and Jazz Lab Band. In addition to freelance work providing background/dinner music and accompaniment for instrumentalists and vocalists, other experience highlights include:
- The Original Knights of Swing, St. Louis, MO.
- UNC Jazz Combos and Jazz Lab Band, Chapel Hill, NC.
- Coleman Hawkins High School All-Star Jazz Band, St. Joseph, MO.
- IAJE Missouri All-State and St. Louis All-Suburban Jazz Bands, 2001/2.
