Virtuosity is Attainable

Ferdy T.

Ferdy’s knowledge and understanding of the instrument goes far beyond the traditional piano teaching methods commonly found in music schools around the world. His innate awareness, paired with his unconventional approach to dismantling problems, can help any pianist attain virtuosic level of playing.

While the emphasis of traditional methods is largely focused on reading notes and musical theory, Ferdy’s teaching focuses on the ergonomics and mechanics of sound production and design. He found that the main obstacle in mastering the instrument lies in the misperception that although the piano key produces the correct pitch no matter how you interact with it, it can still create an undesirable sound. The piano also requires the kind of skill and understanding to produce the correct timbre and pitch like other non-percussive instruments. He also believes that curiosity and the ability to discern the wide range of tone and color that the piano can produce is the key to exceptional playing.

As a performer and pedagogue, Ferdy has over 20 years of experience and 30 years of formal training that includes Manhattan School of Music and intensive studies with Professor Zitta Zohar, a recipient of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award. He has won multiple competitions, performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia, served as musical director for the New York Theatre Ballet, and created Joy of Practicing, a youTube educational channel that shares a wealth of information that is the combination of all the methods he came across in his lifetime and his principles of piano playing, with a mission to make virtuosity accessible to every pianist and enthusiast alike.