aug23

From New Mozart to Yale - Congratulations Claire Spence

From New Mozart to Yale University!

Meet Claire, our talented pianist who joined us when she was just 2 years old. After completing the Harmony Road program at age 5, she continued her piano study with Dr. Alexander. She won numerous competitions and is now off to Yale this fall! We couldn't be prouder and will miss her dearly. Congratulations Claire!

What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? I have been a student at the New Mozart School of Music for 16 years. I started in the Harmony Road class at 2 years old, and went on to study piano with Dr. Alexander for 13 years

Which high school did you attend? I recently graduated from a French-American bilingual high school called the Lycée Français de San Francisco (LFSF).

What are you doing next? I am attending Yale University where I study English literature and poetry and continue studying music.

Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. I have been a student at the New Mozart School of Music for as long as I can remember. I am so grateful to all of the teachers and staff who in many ways have watched me grow up. Teacher Alexander has been a real treasure. He was able to make piano lessons fun with his jokes and life advice, and always prepared me to play my best and win competitions. I grew so much thanks to him as a pianist, a musician, and even as a person, and I will always remember him with gratitude and love. To my family, he was much more than just a teacher, he was a dear friend. I have learned so much at New Mozart starting from the Harmony Road class where I was singing and playing my first notes on the piano to Teacher Alexander's advanced music theory lessons which were instrumental in my getting a top score on the AP music theory exam. Most importantly I learned how to touch others with my music. I know for certain that whatever I do in the future, music will remain an integral part of my life. I am so thankful to my parents for connecting me to this musical world and to New Mozart for giving me the foundation to truly become a musician.

Congratulations to New Mozart Graduate Alisha Bernatzki

Listen to Alisha’s original song “Lament” here.

Meet Alisha, a gifted singer/songwriter & pianist. We were mesmerized the first time we heard her sing at our recital and saw her continue to make strides in her music study with Teacher Robbie. She will be attending The New School in New York this fall. We are so proud of her.

What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? I studied few instruments at New Mozart for 6 years and my main focus was piano.

Which high school did you attend? I graduated from Paly (Palo Alto Senior High School)

What are you doing next? I am going to The New School for economics and planning to dabble in jazz and fashion.

Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. I would say I really appreciate coming to New Mozart and finding teachers I could really connect with. My piano teacher, Robbie, was an excellent teacher. He really helped me discover my sound and taught me everything I know about music theory. I played only classical piano for about 5 years before I met him and he introduced me to another side of music which opened my eyes to the understanding and listening of music to another level.

Congratulations to New Mozart Graduate Caleb Chan

We are so proud of our graduate Caleb Chan. He is a talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. Check out his instagram here and you will know what we mean.

You can watch his newly released music video below.

Caleb studied piano with Teacher Paul and voice and songwriting with Teacher Maria. He will be attending NYU’s Clive Davis Recorded Music to pursue his career in music.


Congratulations to New Mozart Graduate Miguel Estrada

Meet Miguel Estrada a talented jazz and pop pianist as well as a club athlete of waterpolo and soccer. He studied with Teacher Patrick for 5 years. He will continue his music study at New Mozart with Teacher Patrick remotely.

What instrument did you study at New Mozart? Piano & electric piano

Which high school did you attend? Woodside High School

What are you doing next? I will be taking a gap year for 2023-2024 and will be attending Saint Marys College for the fall of 2024. For my gap year I plan to continue playing water polo and studying with Teacher Patrick.

Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. Thank you Teacher Patrick, thank you Teacher Patrick!! Teacher Patrick is one of the most passionate and musically knowledgeable people I have ever met. He has helped me to appreciate not only the piano but so many various genres of music. A lesson from Teacher Patrick is like taking an audio tour of the Music Hall of Fame. Rock, Reggaeton, Funk, Country, he knows it all and has made music so fun for me. I really appreciate my time with him. I'm so thankful for how he has helped me appreciate music even more.

Congratulations to New Mozart Graduate Margaret Donald

Meet Margaret Donald, an actress and singer with extraordinary talent and dedication. We are thrilled that she was accepted into her 1st choice program and college, NYU’s Tisch Shool of the Arts.

What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? Voice, Soprano, for 2 years with Teacher Diane

Which high school did you attend? Menlo-Atherton High School

What are you doing next? I will be attending NYU in the Tisch School of the Arts program. I will be receiving my BFA in acting and I will be in the Atlantic Studio!

Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. My experience with New Mozart has been nothing but enjoyable. Teacher Diane is always upbeat and helpful. The staff are kind and welcoming. I have enjoyed progressing as a singer and as a performer through recitals and weekly lessons!

Congratulations to New Mozart Graduate Sophie Wu

We can’t believe time flew by so quickly! Sophie’s family came to our office inquiring about lessons over ten years ago and never looked back. We are so proud of all she has accomplished musically as well as academically. She has been participating in the CM program throughout her years at New Mozart and finished the Level 8 Certificate of Merit with State Honors and distinction. She will be attending UC Berkeley this fall. Sophie’s brother and sister are also continuing to follow in the footsteps of their sister taking lessons in piano, violin and cello.

What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? I studied the piano and the violin; I started the violin in third grade but to be truthful, I don't remember when I started the piano since it's been so long.

What high school did you graduate from? Henry M. Gunn High School.

What are you doing next? I am going to UC Berkeley.

Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. It was a great experience although I feel like I should have practiced more towards the end of my high school years. My teachers were luckily nice and cool about it. Thanks to private lessons at New Mozart, I could actually motivate myself to play things I actually enjoy playing.

Thank you for providing me a decade worth of musical experience at this school!