Pianist - Composer - Teacher

« When you play music, you discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed. »
— Bill Evans
« It is only by demanding the impossible of the piano that you can obtain from it all that is possible. (…) This means that imagination and desire are ahead of the possible reality. »
— Heinrich Neuhaus, The Art of Piano Playing

APPROACH

Your enjoyment comes first!
We all begin with a strong desire to play the piano, to let sound become emotion. Through each lesson, that desire will be nourished and allowed to grow freely.

Aim for the horizon and get there step by step
Learning to play the piano is a long and rewarding journey. You will be encouraged to approach every stage of this journey with sincerity, so that you will find joy in each small achievement and you can build upon it. When challenges arise, you’ll learn how to break them down and overcome them, one step at a time.

Learn how to learn
You won’t just learn how to play, but also how to practice effectively.

Learn to play effortlessly
Music flows best when the body is at ease and the heart is open. You’ll be invited to let your fingers, hands, arms, and shoulders move naturally, without tension, so that what you feel inside can breathe through sound.

Find your voice at the piano
Playing the piano is like telling a story, your story! You’ll explore how musical phrases are shaped and how to give them meaning through tone, rhythm, and expression.

 

“Hans’s passion for music, his talent for motivating children, and his patience have greatly contributed to my son’s enthusiasm for the piano.”
(Vincent, father of Nathan)

WHAT STUDENTS SAY

“Hans had me rework my technique from the ground up. He also encouraged me to engage fully with every phrase and every note. I’ve become much more attentive to the sound I produce, and I’m now able to express my musical sensitivity.” (Valérie)

“Hans is a good observer and knows to give good advice where I need it”. (Georges)

PROGRAMMES

The lessons are one-on-one and tailored to your goals, your level and the areas where you need support. Here are the main topics we will work on:

 

Classical music - beginner level

  • Learn to read notes and feel the rhythms found in a written score

  • Build solid piano technique through progressive exercises

  • Discover a repertoire of simplified songs and classical pieces

 

Classical music - intermediary and advanced levels

  • Deepen your score-reading skills

  • Get introduced to harmony to understand how a piece is constructed

  • Pay close attention to hand position and movement - fingers, hands, and elbows - and to the sound they produce

  • Gradually work on études and pieces from the classical repertoire

 

Jazz – beginner level

  • Discover the basics of jazz harmony: chord positions and main cadences

  • Learn to harmonize a jazz standard step by step, from 2 to 6 voices

  • Get started with improvisation through different techniques and learn how to build a solo

  • Develop your rhythmic feel and your sense of swing through progressive exercises

  • Explore the blues and its vocabulary (pentatonic scales and the blues scale)

  • Prepare for trio playing (piano/bass/drums)

  • Learn how to accompany a theme or the solo played by another musician

 

Jazz - intermediate and advanced level

  • Study jazz harmony with a focus on voice leading in complex chord positions (voicings, superstructures, block chords)

  • Deepen your improvisation skills: working with modes, phrasing, and transcribing solos from great artists

  • Strengthen rhythmic precision: right-hand rhythmic language and left-hand comping

  • Build a personal repertoire of standards to play either as a soloist or an accompanist