Piano Instructors

FONNY CHANDRA

PIANO TEACHER AND CO-DIRECTOR OF THE ACADEMY

Fonny Chandra started playing piano at the age of four. She gave her first performance at that age in a children’s television program. By the age of 9, she had appeared in many concerts and television programs. In the same year, she joined Yamaha Junior Original Concert (JOC), an organization that teaches music composition to talented young musicians. She composed several pieces while studying in JOC. She made several appearances throughout Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

In 1997, Ms. Chandra entered Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, where she studied with Prof. Zhou Guang Ren, Prof. Ling Yuan, and Prof. Yang Ming. During her study, she performed at the Beijing Concert Hall. Her performance has been broadcast on CCTV 3.

In the United States, Ms. Chandra studies under Ms. Anna Poklewski. She studied under the tutelage of world renowned pianist, Vladimir Viardo in Notre Dame de Namur University and received her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Stephen F. Austin University, where she studied with Dr. James Pitts.

In 2004, she won Notre Dame de Namur Concerto Competition and performed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Redwood Symphony. In summer 2006, Ms. Chandra was invited, and attended Bosendörfer Piano Academy in Vienna.

Ms. Chandra has over 17 years of teaching experience in piano lessons. Some of her students have been accepted in music conservatories in China. In 2002, she gave a piano workshop to piano teachers in Surabaya, Indonesia, and became one of the co-founders of Quatro Music Education School there.

In 2007, with her teacher Ms. Anna Poklewski, and her colleague Ms. Bianca Roesli, she founded the Anna Poklewski Academy of Music.

HENG PIN CHEN

PIANO TEACHER

Mr. Heng-Pin Chen first had his piano lesson at age of seven. Since then, piano has become an instrumental part of his life that has fostered in him an incredible passion for music. Mr. Chen has explored several different fields of musical study over the years, which has greatly contributed to his profound understanding of musicianship.

Besides playing the piano, he can also play the flute, guitar, cello, saxophone, recorder, oboe, and Chinese instruments, the bamboo flute and the Erhu. Also, he has been in choirs as a conductor, an accompanist, and a leader in the voice of tenor.

For the past decade, he has been working with Ms. Poklewski in achieving high levels in piano performance, and has regularly performed in public.

Being an exceptional pianist, Mr. Chen understands the skills that are needed to become a comprehensive musician, and is able to effectively impart this training to all levels of musicians, from beginners to advanced students. Being such an accomplished and gifted instructor, he has helped numerous students pass the prestigious international standard of testing, ABRSM, many with distinctions.

YVON CHOI

PIANO TEACHER

Ms. Yvon had her first piano lesson at the age of five. She has studied composition and piano at SFSU. Under the tutelage of Anna Poklewski, she has performed in master classes given by renowned artists such as Dr. Namik Sultanov.

Also, she has been in choirs as a conductor, an accompanist, and a leader in the soprano section. In addition, she worked at De Anza College as an accompanist and vocal coach.

As an experienced teacher and performer, Ms. Yvon welcomes students of all ages and levels who are interested in piano lessons.

Her new piece was recorded in May 2021 by Jack String Quartet, who is one of the most acclaimed and respected groups performing today.

TAE YOUNG JUN

PIANO TEACHER

JIYEON LEE

PIANO TEACHER

KEIKO OMORI

PIANO TEACHER

SIU-LIN PECK

Siu-Lin Peck graduated with honors from the National University of Singapore and obtained her Diploma in Piano Teaching from the UK Associated Board of the Royal School of Music.

She is an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California. Since coming to the USA in 1999, she has studied Piano Pedagogy and Music Education at the San Jose State University. She has been under the tutelage of Prof. Anna Poklewski since they first met in 2000.

Ms. Peck has students ranging from beginners to advanced level. Her higher-level students have consistently been on the Honor Roll at the annual Certificate of Merit evaluations. She believes music learning should be fun, even though the mastery of the instrument requires discipline. This has motivated her to research extensively on early childhood music education.

In addition to teaching individual piano lessons, Ms. Peck, together with Prof. Poklewski, has developed a unique Group Class program for APAM, which is highly popular with both parents and young students.

BIANCA ROESLI

PIANO TEACHER AND CO-DIRECTOR OF THE ACADEMY

MINAKO TAKECHI

PIANO TEACHER

Minako Takechi was born in Japan and started playing piano at the age of four. After many years of playing and starting her teaching career in Japan, she moved to the United States.

After studying piano with Mrs. Poklewski, she decided to pursue the degree in piano performance and has played the leading piano in the chamber music orchestra.

She has received her degree from SJSU. Besides studying with Mrs. Poklewski, she has studied piano performance under Dr. Gwendolyn Mok and Dr. Namik Sultanov, all who are exceptional performers world-renowned musicians.

ANNIE WANG

PIANO TEACHER

DONGYI ZHUANG

PIANO TEACHER

Ms. Dongyi Zhuang started learning piano at the age of five and has continued her musical studies ever since. She graduated with master's degree in piano performance.

Not only is Ms. Zhuang an experienced performer and teacher due to the numerous recitals, performances, competitions, and concerts she has participated in the Bay Area, New York, and China, but she comes from a musical family, as her sister plays the violin and her brother plays the drums, piano, and cello.

Besides learning the art of piano, Dongyi has extensively studied pedagogy and injury prevention. She incorporates her expertise from both fields in lessons with students, teaching them discipline and professionalism. Her favorite composers are Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Bach, and Brahms.

We are currently updating some of our teacher biographies.

In the meantime, please feel free to call our studio

to learn more about our teachers.

PIANO TEACHER

HAILING WANG

BOAZ SIMOVICI

PIANO TEACHER

An active chamber recitalist and accompanist in the Bay Area, Boaz first began serious study of piano technique with Anna Poklewski as a teenager.

He graduated with honors from UC Berkeley in European History and Music, with concentrations in Conducting and Composition, and has since appeared as pianist and conductor with various vocal and instrumental ensembles and soloists, including recent performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg and Rachmaninoff sonatas for violin and cello.

As a teacher, Boaz is passionate about the fundamentals of finger and arm technique; he is also dedicated to instilling a firm, intuitive sense of keyboard harmony that will allow dedicated students to become true musicians.