Nathaniel Cogen is a passionate, meticulous, artistic, and soulful pianist that implements various teaching philosophies into his pedagogical approach to piano education. Having performed in various collaborative and solo performances, Nathaniel’s wide range of knowledge creates a fun and edifying learning experience for any student he has the privilege of working with.

Some of his solo performances include participation in a winner’s recital at Carnegie Hall in 2011, an undergraduate solo recital in 2017 and a graduate solo recital in 2022 at the Howard Performing Arts Center. A couple highlights of his collaborative work include the performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto 1st Mvt and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 1st Mvt with the Andrews University Symphony Orchestra.

As an aspiring DMA candidate, Nathaniel desires to one day teach at the collegiate level, mentoring and coaching talented musicians on the nuances of Western European music while maintaining a modern outlook to enhance musicality and personalized interpretation. In addition to his expertise in classical music, Nathaniel spends his time producing and writing records for various genres such as hip-hop, rap, R&B, and pop.  

Originally born in Vietnam, Mr. Le started piano lessons at the age of 8. In 2017, Mr. Le decided to pursue a music career as a pianist. He completed his Associate Degree of Arts from Montgomery College in 2020 and Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2022 under the guidance of pianist Brian Ganz. This fall Mr. Le will continue to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Maryland.

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Mr. Le believes music has a supernatural power of helping people escape reality, and enter a magical world filled with imagination and wonders. It is within music that he feels the voiceless can speak and the blind can see. It is where one can become true to oneself with no fear of being criticized. It is with music that Mr. Le overcome the challenges in life, and it is his wish to share this power with as many people as he can as a music teacher for Chanson Music Studio.

Huei was born and raised in Taiwan, where she began her piano studies at the age of five. She holds a master’s degree in Piano Performance from National Taiwan Normal University (the top music school in Taiwan). During her time there, Ms. Huei was selected as a participant in several competitions, such as National Taiwan Student Piano Competition, Asian Music Competition and Hong Kong Pacific Piano Open Competition. At the same time, she received scholarships to attend well-known music festivals, including the Brevard Music Festival (North Carolina) and The Piano Society Summer Festival (South Korea). She not only performed as a solo pianist, but also as a collaborative pianist.

Besides performing, Ms. Huei devoted her love of music to teaching. While pursuing her bachelor's degree at NTNU, she developed a strong interest in education. She gained her performance degree as well as a teaching certificate and became a nationally qualified music teacher. Upon receiving her master’s degree, Ms. Huei had been teaching in schools for several years, conducting both group classes and private lessons.

As a successful pianist and teacher, her biggest dream is to spread the magic of piano. Due to her educational and professional background, she understands students well and she can always find the best way to help the students learn.

Pianist Ke Gong was born in Hunan, China. Ke showed her great talent and passion on piano from the age of 6. In 2016, she received an honorary bachelor's degree from the Royal College of Music. Two years later, she completed a master’s degree in piano performance major and organ minor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she was working as a graduate assistant. Recently, she is working on her doctoral degree at the University of Maryland, under the tutelage of Professor Bradford Gowen.

Ke is active on the world stage and participated in many music activities. She has given solo recitals in Singapore, U. K., Spain and U. S. She has also attended many music festivals, such as Brevard Music Festival and Gijon International Piano Festival. Her teachers include Bradford Gowen, Mikhail Volchok, Sun Min Kim, Rena Phua and Nigel Clayton. In addition, she is experienced in piano teaching for over 10 years. Many of her students achieved excellence at the ABRSM exam. In her spare time, she likes to spend time on nice things like traveling, photography and cooking.

Pianist and Conductor Shun Yao has been praised for his "natural affinity with music" and "dedication for his art".

Mr. Yao grew up in the city of New York. He studied piano with Nina Svetlanova at Manhattan School of Music and worked with other prestigious artist such as Nikolai Demidenko, Boris Slutsky, and Jerome Rose. He was often acknowledged for his rich tone and innate sense of timing. Performances took him to various venues around the city. Subsequently, he earned his Master's degree at Rice University in Houston.

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An avid chamber musician, Mr. Yao has been coached by members of Tokyo Quartet and Medici Quartet, among others. He has also collaborated with singers from Seattle Opera and National Operas, as well as members of Houston Symphony. Taking on the spirit of collaboration and adventure, Mr. Yao has committed himself to orchestral conducting since 2018. His mentors include prominent figures such as Robert Spano of Atlanta Symphony, David Zinman of Zurich Orchestra, and Jorma Panula of Sibelius Academy in Finland. He has worked with ensembles in London, Italy, Hong Kong, Czech Republic, and across the US, and premiered works by Moni Guo and Benjamin Morris. During the coronavirus pandemic, he organized the first virtual orchestra project at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Mr. Yao always finds great joy in teaching. Whether it's one-on-one piano and music theory lessons or working with student orchestras, whether it's guiding children to find the middle C on the keyboard or helping young professionals to prepare for orchestra auditions, he is always driven by the satisfaction of sharing his passion for music.

Weixiang Peng started playing piano at the age of five. In 2018, Mr. Peng moved to Alabama and became a student of Dr. Edisher Savitski. In 2019, Mr. Peng attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the guidance of Dr. Yakov Kasman and earned his bachelor’s degree. Mr. Peng participated in the IKIF keyboard festival in 2019. He was also a participant of master classes with Jie Chen, Sean Chen, Nina Lelchuk, Norman Krieger, and Yuan Sheng. 

Mr. Peng is an award-winning pianist. He won second place in the Birmingham Music Club Scholarship Competition in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He was named the winner of AMTA State Collegiate Solo Piano Auditions in 2019 and 2022. Mr. Peng was also named the alternate state winner of the MTNA-Steinway 2021-22 Young Artist State Piano Competition.

Mr. Peng is pursuing his Master of Music in Piano Performance program at the Peabody Conservatory at John Hopkins in the fall of 2022 under the instruction of Dr. Steven Spooner.

Pianist Dr. Heqing Huang has appeared in recitals at Florida, California, New York, Iowa, among other states. As a soloist, Dr. Huang has performed with The University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra, Symphony of the Vines, Lynn Phiharmonia and Ars flores symphony orchestra .

Dr. Huang earned his DMA in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Iowa under Dr. Uriel Tsachor and served as teaching assistant to the school of music. He had a studio of 20 students and taught group piano classes for both major/non-major students at the University of Iowa. He also taught at the Pre-College Piano Conservatory at UI.

Mr. Huang’s competition achievements include: First prize in the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota piano competition with Virginia B. Toulmin Award (2014), Ars flores young artist concerto competition(2011),  First prize in “HAILUN” National Piano Competition (2007 Sichuan Subdivision), special prize in the 1st National Youth Piano Competition held by the China Culture Ministry (2009), Finalist in the 4th Wiesbaden International Piano Competition in Germany (2009) and Finalist in both Chautauqua International Piano Solo and Concerto Competition, New York (2013/2016). He had master classes with Leon Fleisher, John Perry and Jon Kimura Parker. 

Maxwell Kwarteng is a multitalented Front-End Developer rooted in enhancing the customer experience. He has an array of familiarity with communication processes and evaluating the quality of material and data. Inspired by the organic brands that he loves, he is now eager to help small businesses with their online web presence. He focuses on clean, creative, and friendly web designs to turn visitors into customers.

Since roads are not always a straight shot. Maxwell has had many life experiences that have shaped the professional that he is today. As a Biology Major, he has worked as a pathology lab technician, college tutor, and teacher assistant. As a Physical Therapist Assistant Student, he has worked closely with patients to develop a program that fits their needs. His work ethic is deeply influenced by creating an environment that invites differences and similarities. The result is to seize the best of both worlds, manage customer needs, and advocate for interactivity. 

When not working, he loves to exercise! As a former football player and track and field athlete, he knows that is important to exercise regularly, have plenty of sleep, and perform outdoor activities. You can find him weightlifting, running, hiking, having a long nap, or just enjoying a day on the beach. Although he is an advocate of nutritious meals, his weakness is a good burger and/or pizza!

Daniel Peterson is a recent doctoral graduate in orchestral conducting at the Catholic University of America, where he studied under the tutelage of Maestro Murry Sidlin.  He has completed graduate degrees in conducting at Southern Methodist University and Boston University, as well as a degree in music education and piano at Grove City College.  He has also studied abroad at the Bauhaus University in Weimer, Germany.  Prior to pursuing graduate study, Mr. Peterson taught music to elementary through high school students in public schools in New Jersey, including piano, general music, chorus, and special education.  Additionally, he has conducted performances with collegiate orchestras and choruses as a graduate student.  He is inspired by students who love music, and excited to assist them in their artistic development.  Mr. Peterson is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda.

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Katherine Leon has many years of experience in the entertainment and arts business. Her first approach was behind the scenes. She started working as a junior producer in her native Peru before she graduated with a B.A. in Audiovisual Communications from the Catholic Pontifical University of Peru. She had the opportunity to work with three companies that showed her different aspects of the audiovisual industry: Maia Films (corporate), Terra TV (online channel), and Tondero Producciones (entertainment industry).

Ms. Leon was also part of Emily Mazzotti’s Flamenco Company, and the National Peruvian Choir. Once in the US she started to perform as an opera singer with companies like Opera Camerata of Washington DC, Inseries, Teatro Lirico of DC, Belcantanti and Maryland Lyric Opera in productions like Die Fledermaus, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana, Snowmaiden, Romeo et Juliette, Carmen and The Medium.

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Further, Ms. Leon is passionate about her native language and Peruvian heritage. She ended up obtaining a B.A. in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture from University of Maryland, College Park. Her background in literature and linguistics has made her appreciate the power of communication and its many cultural representations. In an effort to combine her experience and passions, she decided to partner with Jackie Song to create Chanson Music Studios as a place that unites music and language.

Jiashu Song is an educator and classical pianist. As a native of China, Ms. Song is dedicated to providing Mandarin immersion programs for students through music lessons. For 9 years, Ms. Song has taught children ages 3 - 17 both privately and at schools in the D.C. metropolitan area. Ms. Song received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Catholic University of America. As an educator, she hopes to bring joyful and inspiring learning experiences to every student, guiding them through their journey of diverse world music traditions.

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Ms. Song has been a student at masterclasses of The Washington International Piano Series, given by well-known pianists Igor Lebedev, Professor Changxin Guan and Professor Murray McClachlan. She performed Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the CUA Symphony Orchestra, and also as a chamber orchestra pianist in an opera world premiere in San Juan, Puerto Rico.