Northeastern Illinois University Piano Studio

As a founding member of Keys to Inclusion, NEIU piano studio is thrilled to be involved in this exciting recording project!

Cesar Pino (B.A. ‘16 and M.A. ‘18 Music) is known in the music world by his stage name C3zr. Pino released his debut LP titled, “Round Voyage,” in March 2024, which focuses on Chicago’s bodies of water at different points of the day. Pino has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Under the Radar Magazine, amongst other music-related publications. His album has musical production of electric jazz and funk and features several local Chicagoland artists. Learn more about Pino and his journey by visiting our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiualumni/.

Last night pianist Mohammad Abdelrahman received the Presser Award (cash prize!) for a graduating senior who represents our highest level of academic excellence, leadership and musical achievement in the music department.

Next Fall, he will attend Illinois State University on a full scholarship plus teaching assistantship to pursue the Master of Music in piano performance.

We will miss him at our weekly studio classes but wish him the best on this next step in his musical journey ❤️ congratulations Mo, we are all so proud of you!

Piano studio field trip in March to Symphony Center to hear and witness the beauty and artistry of Mitsuko Uchida’s Mozart ❤️

Congratulations to NEIU piano studio alumni Suni (Hongyu) Lei (MA Piano Pedagogy) who has been accepted to begin her DMA in composition at University of Alabama!

NEIU piano studio is so proud and excited about the success of Cesar Pino (BM piano performance and MA piano pedagogy) who did both his undergraduate and graduate degree with us! Hope all the arpeggios you did come in handy on that KEYTAR ❤️

Spotlight on Piano Studio Alumni: Cesar Pino
BM Piano Performance (2016), MA Piano Pedagogy (2018)

Cesar Pino completed both his undergraduate and graduate music degrees at NEIU. As a student, in addition to excelling in classical repertoire, under the guidance of Mayo Tiana, Cesar also developed into quite a fine jazz musician, and was honored by being selected to tour with the NEIU jazz ensemble throughout China.

Since graduating, this Chicago native from Park Ridge not only maintains a private piano studio and is on the music faculty at ChiArts High School, he has also expanded his career into the entrepreneur world. Cesar is now producing podcasts and marketing original musical content through his company, “Voices of Chicago” AND he is in the process of opening a jazz lounge in the West Town neighborhood.

A music degree from NEIU not only develops superb musicians, but also nurtures collaboration, creativity, innovation and the entrepreneur spirit!

Two amazing opportunities this week to hear some beautiful piano music!! All events are FREE to the public!!

March 21 at 3PM, pianist Mirna Lekic and composer Andre Bregegere from NYC are coming to present a really interesting and creative program that explores the sounds of the piano with LIVE video creation. You will have a chance to be part of a multi-media and multi-sensory experience!

March 22nd at 7:30PM, NEIU piano faculty Susan Tang will present a concert of the German Romantics Schumann and Brahms in works for solo piano, piano 4 hands and piano quartet with NEIU faculty Kay Kim (piano) & Jaime Gorgojo (violin) plus guest artists Mara McClain (cello) and Adam Cordle (viola)

Congratulations to pianist Ivona Kesic right here in the middle surrounded by her happy peers in the piano studio after a beautiful performance of Schumann piano concerto last night. We are happy to announce she was chosen to perform with orchestra later this month!! Congratulations!

Pictures from this past weekend when Keys to Inclusion faculty (NEIU piano is one of the founding studios) presented their research at both Nazareth University and Eastman School of Music’s CONTEXT conference highlighting the important work of reimagining and expanding the piano canon repertoire.

NEIU piano teachers put on a fabulous recital with so many wonderful young piano and string students ❤️

You are invited to celebrate Spring (which is just around the corner) with an evening of gorgeous and joyful chamber music by Schubert!

Congratulations to Diego Tapia (MA Piano Pedagogy ’22) for his presentation “The use of Piano in Argentine Music” at the Illinois State Music Teacher Association State Conference at Eastern Illinois University and to HongYu Lei (MA Piano Pedagogy ‘20) who joined for a special duet performance!

Congratulations to undergraduate piano performance major Mohammad Abdelrahman! Last week, Mo (as he is better known around his peers) went down to Harper college to participate in the Illinois State Music Teachers collegiate competition and received third place. His program included the 3 Bs…a movement from Bach’s Partita #1, Beethoven “Appasionata” sonata and Brahms Rhapsody Op. 79 No. 1 in b minor.

Mo began his piano studies at the age of 18 at Loyola University with the amazing Dr. Haysun Kang and is currently in his second year at NEIU. In 5 years of studies he has accomplished more than what most piano students accomplish in 15! He is currently working on Rachmaninov’s beautiful second piano concerto in preparation for our annual concerto competition in February. Mo is an excellent example of what focus, hard work, dedication and a love for the piano repertoire can achieve. We are so proud of his achievements and thrilled to see his musical growth being celebrated and acknowledged through this award! BRAVO!

Congratulations to these four graduate students, who every day are getting one more step closer to completing their MA in Piano Pedagogy!

Congratulations to the NEIU piano studio who went on “tour” from Chicago’s north side down to the south side for their second concert with the Keys to Inclusion program of works by Black American Women composers @ University of Chicago

So happy to have shared today at MTNA national convention online! If you missed it, or want to hear more of these great composers’ work, come to the joint recital of the pianists at NEIU and the University of Chicago on Friday night!

Spring 2022 audition dates for scholarships: March 5 and April 2

Degrees in BA Music, BM Piano Performance, BM Music Education, MA Piano Pedagogy

https://app.getacceptd.com/neiu

Northeastern Illinois University | Acceptd Start your online application to Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois at Acceptd!

NEIU Piano Pedagogy program in partnership with the NEIU Community Music Program supports the excellent piano teaching of our current undergraduate & graduate students. Can't wait to see the costumes!!

More good news to share!

NEIU piano studio is proudly a founding member of Keys to Inclusion. This year, together with 4 other piano studios (UMBC, Denison U. Loyola-New Orleans, SDSU) we explored the piano music of Black American composers with guest speakers, masterclasses and lectures.

Here are highlights from the masterclass hosted by NEIU yesterday!

Spotlight on piano studio graduating senior:
Paul Pickering, BM Piano Performance

Paul Pickering began his musical journey at NEIU in the Fall of 2011 pursuing the BM in piano performance degree.

During his studies, Paul won the concerto competition, performing the first movement of the Saint Saen's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the NEIU orchestra and participated in various masterclasses, including for the legendary teacher Nelita True.

When Paul is not practicing piano or studying music, he is known as Dr. Pickering, a well respected primary care physician for Northwestern University known for his utmost care and dedication to his patients.

The NEIU piano studio supports and embraces the individuality of our students. We are dedicated to high musical excellence and strive to help our students reach their individual goals.

Paul was recently accepted into the MM Piano Performance degree at Chicago College of Performing Arts - Roosevelt University where he will continue his studies with Dr. Winston Choi. We are so happy and excited to see what this next chapter of musical study will hold!

Congratulations to alumni Andrew Fath who has been accepted to the MM collaborative piano program at Louisiana State University. We are excited for all you will experience and learn in the next few years!!

Spotlight on piano studio alumni:
Andrew Fath , MA Piano Pedagogy

Andrew Fath completed the MA in Piano Pedagogy from NEIU in 2017. As a student, Andrew taught in our Community Music Program and won the concerto competition, performing Mozart D minor Piano Concerto.

After the degree, he returned to his hometown in New Orleans and got a job immediately at his alma mater, Loyola University New Orleans as a staff accompanist. In his job, he now collaborates with students in their degree recitals and faculty members at the university while also maintaining an active private piano studio and preparing for solo performances around town.

The NEIU piano area is so proud of the success of our graduates!