Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | News

The Studio will be closed all day and all evening on Monday, October 31 for Halloween. Lessons/classes resume on Tuesday November 1. 

Saturday, September 17, 2022 | News

The first portion of our fall Workshop schedule (now through 12/11) is OPEN FOR SIGN UP! Current students: find the sign-up from the Calendar view within the Student Portal. New students: contact us to register! Our unique workshop program is the heart of our studio and all classes are free and included within our regular tuition rates. 

Monday, September 12, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Aruni Veluri who recently participated in her RCM Piano (practical) Exam at Level 7 and was recognized with First Class Honors with Distinction. Learn more about this rigorous yet non-competitive evaluation program via: https://www.rcmusic.com.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 | News

The Studio will be closed for Labor Day break Saturday Sunday Monday September 3 through 5. We re-open on our new school-year schedule starting Tuesday September 6. 

Monday, June 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to our high school senior Owen Rollins for earning Honors with Distinction on his Level 10 RCM Exam in December 2021. The Level 10 exam requires students to present five repertoire pieces in varied styles as well as two etudes and an assortment of foundational practical skills. Students who pass this exam have demonstrated a level of practical knowledge and performance skill similar to a third-year college undergraduate piano major. Owen performed Prelude & Fugue in A-flat Major, WTC 1 (J.S. Bach) ♪ Sonata in F Major Op. 10 No. 2, first and second movements (L. van Beethoven) ♪ Nocturne in b-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1 (F. Chopin) ♪ Clair de Lune (C. Debussy) ♪ Graceful Ghost Rag (W. Bolcom) ♪ And, etudes by Chopin and Czerny. 

Throughout the Winter/Spring season, we have had many other students participating in this rigorous but non-competitive event! Learn more about it via rcmusic.com

♪ Abby Wang ♪ First Class Honors at Level 1 (February 2022)

♪ Noa Herzog ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (February 2022)

♪ Hannah Wang ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 5 (February 2022)

♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (March 2022)

♪ Kavya Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 4 (March 2022)

♪ Audrey Wang ♪ First Class Honors at Level 4 (April 2022)

♪ Helena Horowitz ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 4 (April 2022)

♪ Alex Xu ♪ First Class Honors at Level 9 (April 2022)

♪ Liam Horgan ♪ First Class Honors at Level 2 (May 2022)

♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 7 (May 2022)

♪ Ryan Qi ♪ First Class Honors at Level 3 (May 2022)

♪ Gizem Onerci ♪ First Class Honors at Level 1 (May 2022)

♪ Ethan Williams ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 1 (June 2022)

♪ James Yao ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (June 2022)

♪ Abby Wang ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (June 2022)

♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ First Class Honors at Level 8 (June 2022)

♪ Alex Xu ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction Level 8 Theory (June 2022)

♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction Level 7 Theory (June 2022)

Thursday, June 16, 2022 | News

What a joy it was to be back in-person and indoors for our first "traditional" recital in over two years! On Saturday, June 11, we held five different recital groups at Cherrydale United Methodist Church. The day included 92 performing students from age 5 to 19 including three kindergarteners and three high school seniors. 

Friday, May 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On May 15, 2022, we were lucky to host the fabulous Dr. Paulo Steinberg of James Madison University for our second and final Guest Artist Masterclass of the 2022 school year. Congratulations to the students who stepped up to perform and learn with us!

Hannah Boesen (Invention in a minor, Bach) ♪ Ai-Lan Pho (Waltz in c-sharp minor, Chopin) ♪ Kavya Thyagarajan (Courante from French Suite No. 2, Bach) ♪ Aruni Veluri (Sonatina for the Young Op. 118 No. 1, Schumann) ♪ Owen Rollins (Liebestraum No. 3, Liszt)

Friday, May 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On May 14 2022 Springfield Music Club held a Sonata/Sonatina Festival. And on May 22 2022 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association did the same! In these events, students performed two contrasting movements from a sonata or sonatina. The following students received the top rating: Alexa Garcia • Aruni Veluri • Varun Veluri • Hannah Wang.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 | News

The Studio will be closed for Memorial Day Break all weekend from Friday May 27 through and including Monday May 30. The Studio re-opens on our usual school-year schedule Tuesday May 31. 

Sunday, May 1, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Each year, the National Federation of Music Clubs hosts a Spring Festival. Nationwide, this event reaches approximately 100,000 students! Locally, this event is sponsored and run by Springfield Music Club. Students prepare two contrasting pieces and perform them from memory for a small audience. Students receive constructive written feedback on their performance and a rating. The following students earned the top rating of Superior. 

Sebastian Annett ♪ Juliet Barrett ♪ Sarah Hellman ♪ Noa Herzog Owen Horgan ♪ Liam Horgan ♪ Helena Horowitz ♪ Stephen McElvain ♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ Lindsay Nguyen ♪ Gizem Onerci ♪ Seth Peleg ♪ Ryan Qi ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Lucia Severino ♪ Anne Severino ♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Ethan Williams ♪ Alex Xu

SOLO AND CONCERTO: Varun Veluri 

Monday, April 18, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On April 9, 2022, we gathered at the Woman's Club of Arlington for our annual Honors Recital. We also enjoyed a special faculty performance of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 27 No. 1 by Winton Tin Vi La. Learn more about our Honors Recital via pianowitz.com/for-our-students. Congratulations and thank you to the following students who were invited and chose to join us:

Alexa Garica ♪ Aiden Lu ♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ Gizem Onerci Ai-Lan Pho ♪ Hong-Duc Pho ♪ Katie Rasmussen ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Lucia Severino ♪ Anastasia Vasillopolous ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang ♪ James Yao

Monday, April 4, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On Saturday April 2 we were lucky to have Jocelyn Swigger of Gettysburg College join us in our Studio as the guest artist for our first in-person master class in over two years. Congratulations to the students who joined us by performing in this challenging yet rewarding environment:

Noa Herzog (Wild Honeysuckle Rag, Meir) ♪ Pelin Sarac (Wayside Inn from Waldenszenen, Schumann) ♪ Noah Tennenbaum (Basso Ostinato, Shchedrin) ♪ Varun Veluri (Sonata Op. 13 “Pathetique”, Beethoven) ♪ Hannah Wang (Sonatina in C Major Op. 36 No. 3, Clementi) ♪ James Yao (Little Preludes in E Major and F Major, J.S. Bach)

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 | News

The Studio will be closed for Spring Break from Monday April 11 through and including Sunday April 17 2022.

Thursday, March 24, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Bach/Baroque Festival, an annual event hosted by Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA.org) was held February 26 at Cherrydale United Methodist Church. We are proud of our students selected for the top rating of "Superior": Alexa Garcia ♪ Sakura Sasaki ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang ♪ Alex Xu ♪ James Yao. In addition to their Superior rating, Hannah and Alex were invited to perform in the Honors Recital on Sunday February 27. Hannah played the Sinfonia in b minor BWV 801 and Alex played the Prelude & Fugue in c minor from WTC 1. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Zara Ogut who earned 2nd Place in for her performance in the NMVTA Concerto Festival, held March 5 at the Woman's Club of Arlington. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Since March of 2020, there has been an explosion of video events for students, but Golden Key has operated in a video-audition format for many years. In winter 2022, we congratulate: Aruni Veluri, Abby Wang, Hannah Wang (Gold Medal) ♪ Katrina Nelson (Silver Medal) ♪ Pelin Sarac (Bronze Medal)

Thursday, December 23, 2021 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to the following students who earned the top rating of Superior at 2021 Fall Festival, an event sponsored by Virginia Music Teachers Association. In this event, students prepared two pieces: one in contemporary style, and one in historic style. This year's event was held by video.

Alexa Garica ♪ Caeli McIntosh ♪ Courtney Nguyen ♪ Kaitlin Nguyen ♪ Lindsay Nguyen Ai-lan Pho ♪ Ryan Qi ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Anastasia Vasillopolous ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang

Sunday, December 19, 2021 | News

The Studio will be closed from Monday December 20 through and including Sunday January 2 for Winter Break. We re-open on our usual school-year schedule starting Monday, January 3, 2022.  

Sunday, December 12, 2021 | News

The Studio will be closed for Winter Mini-Recital on Sunday, December 19. Non-performing students and alumni are invited to attend the recital. Students: check your email for more details. 

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 | News

The Studio will be closed for Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 24 to 27. We are open as usual on Sunday November 28.