Dr. Hsiu-Ting Chen is a classically trained pianist and piano teacher offering piano, music theory, and ear training lessons in the Austin area and its suburbs, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville. She teaches students of all ages, from beginners to advanced musicians.
Chen believes in selecting the right teaching materials to meet individual needs and emphasizes a solid technical foundation for expressive and beautiful musical performance. One of her teaching strengths is identifying technical challenges and providing concrete solutions for problem-solving. To make reading music manageable for beginners, Chen uses the landmark note method. She aims to prepare her students to become lifelong music learners, empowering them to play any piece of music they desire using sheet music.
Hsiu-Ting Chen earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Oklahoma, where she served as an opera rehearsal pianist for three years. During her time at the University of Oklahoma, she studied piano with Drs. Jeongwon Ham, Edward Gates, Yingying Su, and Stephen Beus. Chen obtained her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Ohio University under the tutelage of Dr. Christopher Fisher, assisting in teaching the Piano Safari method alongside one of its authors, Katherine Fisher. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from her home country, Taiwan.
As a graduate assistant during her musical studies, Chen was awarded multiple scholarships, including the Martha M. Boucher Piano Scholarship, Frances Wood Thompson, and Frieda Derdeyn Bambas Piano Endowed Scholarships. She has won prizes in various music competitions in Taiwan and the United States, including the Donna Turner Smith Piano Competition. Chen has performed in master classes with Alex McDonald, Orli Shaham, Craig Nies, Laura Melton, Norman Krieger, and Natasha Paremski, and has participated in the International Klavier Festival in Lindlar, Germany; a summer academy at Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, Germany; and the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, USA. Besides her work as a soloist, Chen enjoys performing as a collaborative pianist.
Hsiu-Ting Chen is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), Austin District Music Teachers Association (ADMTA), and Brazos Valley Music Teachers Association (BVMTA). Her scholarly publications include her doctoral dissertation, titled "A Stylistic and Performance Analysis of Concert Arabesques, Op. 12 by Henryk (Adolf Andrei) Schulz-Evler," which provides the most comprehensive biography of the composer in English to date.
Teaching Philosophy-
One of Hsiu-Ting’s greatest strengths as a teacher is her ability to help students understand the physical causes of technical challenges and provide concrete, practical solutions. She emphasizes building a solid technical foundation that allows pianists to express music beautifully and with individuality.
Her teaching philosophy goes beyond playing the right notes and rhythms. Key areas of focus include:
1. Developing efficient and mindful practice habits
2. Gaining control over sound production and tone quality
3. Building finger dexterity while avoiding injury
4. Understanding musical meaning and composers' stylistic language
5. Encouraging emotional connection and personal expression through music
Working with Beginners-
Hsiu-Ting has extensive experience teaching beginners of all ages, especially those with no prior music-reading skills. She uses a method that emphasizes hands-on piano playing from the very first lesson, allowing students to play musically satisfying pieces before they are fluent readers. This pattern- and memory-based approach builds early confidence and technical strength. Music reading is gradually and systematically introduced so the learning process is engaging and not overwhelming for young children.
Advanced Coaching and Communication-
For students preparing for competitions or auditions, Hsiu-Ting offers intensive coaching tailored to high-performance goals. Her compassionate and thoughtful personality helps foster strong communication with both students and parents, creating a supportive and encouraging learning environment.
* Languages: Piano lessons are offered in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
