Piano Lessons

As an alumna of MIT and Juilliard, I have firsthand experience in being a serious musician while balancing other responsibilities and interests.

In 2010, I joined the music staff at MIT, where I’ve been a piano teacher, collaborative piano instructor, chamber music coach, and guest artist-lecturer for composition classes. I also teach private piano lessons to serious adult learners.

  • Eileen does an excellent job of helping students interpret even the most complicated pieces and overcome any technical difficulties that arise along the way.
    Vikram S.
  • Eileen is the teacher who has worked best and longest for me. She zeros in quickly to the critical issues and is gentle but firm, without being arbitrary or dogmatic.
    D.B.
  • Working with Eileen has expanded my technical abilities and deepened my understanding of piano performance. I developed a better sense of musical expression as her student.
    Olivia B.

I encourage my students to be inquisitive, careful listeners, and I’m a huge proponent of practicing efficiently instead of practicing more. As a multi-disciplinary thinker, I love problem-solving and exploring creative ideas, so my students can express themselves freely and authentically.

  • [Eileen’s teaching shows] ample evidence of her fine musicianship, personal accomplishment as a pianist, and effectiveness in working well with some of our most advanced players.
    Marcus Thompson, Institute Professor, MIT

The students who benefit the most from my teaching are curious, hard-working, and eager for a challenge. I believe every expressive and technical nuance is worth exploring with enthusiasm.

Returning adult students can make fast progress because foundational music skills rarely disappear entirely. These students have the added advantage of being self-motivated, emotionally mature, and able to understand and apply complex ideas quickly.

My oldest student is in his 80s and still making progress!

I’ve taught at MIT since 2010, so this is my specialty. My students are engineering and science majors — not because music isn’t central to their lives, but because they made a deliberate choice about their career path.

I work with these students on advanced repertoire at a high technical standard, with the same expectations I’d bring to any conservatory-level student. Watch some of my students’ performances here.

Having heard hundreds of auditions and pre-screening recordings, I know what juries are looking for and which repertoire choices are so over-performed that they work against a candidate. I can help you select repertoire that showcases your strengths and bring your technique and musicianship to an audition-ready standard.

Want to work with me? Let’s get started.