A Bit About Me
As an educator, Dr. Yunhan Xu has been teaching piano for more than 10 years. She is experienced as a piano teacher for students of all ages and abilities. She has taught both music majors and non-music major piano students at the university level. Dr. Xu was a piano instructor in the Piano Laboratory Program of the University of Illinois, and most recently at the University of Oregon Piano Pedagogy Program. She is a member of the MTNA Music Club and Music Club Steering Committee. She is a certified Harmony Road instructor, trained in Portland from Jan Keyser, the founder of the Harmony Road Method.
​
As a performer, Dr. Yunhan Xu earned her B.Mus. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015. Following two years of study, Dr. Xu received her Dual Master`s Degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy under the tutelage of Dr. William Heiles and Dr. Christos Tsitsaros. In addition, she minored in harpsichord studying with Dr. Charlotte Mattax Moersch. Dr. Xu received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Oregon under the guidance of Dr. Claire Wachter and Dr. Dean Kramer. She is the First Prize Winner of the Clara Rolland Piano Competition and has performed solo recitals for the Kiwanis Club, the Global Scholars Hall, Clark-Lindsey Village, among many others.
My Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy of piano education is that every student has the unique potential to become a fine pianist. I believe that it is important for students to have an encouraging musical environment where they can achieve artistic individuality and reach their highest ideals as musicians.
​
As a teacher, I will facilitate and develop each student’s musical talents. I will provide an environment where students can fully understand the fundamental principles of piano technique, rhythm, music theory, and ensemble playing. I will guide students to learn the great piano repertoire from the early Baroque to the present. Most importantly, I will inspire every student to appreciate the beauty of music. My ultimate teaching goal is to help every student enjoy playing piano, and to provide each student with artistic skills that will bring a lifetime of joy.