My daughter is 6 years old and has been taking piano lessons and music theory with Dr. Chen for a year. After trying other teachers, my daughter and I are so glad Dr. Chen came along. She is just brilliant, extremely professional, and has a quite impressive experience. She has taught my daughter so much in such short period, and I love the discipline and sense of commitment to music she has helped my daughter develop. With every lesson, my respect and admiration for Dr. Chen only grow stronger. I truly believe she’s by far the best piano teacher around and look forward to having her teaching my little one all the way.
~Raquel T., mother of a young beginning student
My two boys, ages 9 and 11, have studied piano with Ms. Chen for over 3 years now. I have been amazed at Ms. Chen’s ability to both inspire yet challenge my children at the same time. She has always been able to strike a perfect balance between preciseness and gentleness and as a result my boys are eager to do their very best. They have both come such a long way over the past few years and performed beautifully at home and in recitals but more importantly, they have developed a love for music, self-confidence and a very clear understanding of the dedication necessary to do well. I have been playing piano myself for over 30 years now so I have an appreciation for how well they are playing, their understanding of theory and their attention to detail because of Ms. Chen’s teachings. Most importantly, my boys do not complain about going to music lessons where Ms. Chen welcomes them warmly and values their efforts. They have both achieved far more than I ever expected because of their love and appreciation of music, daily practice at home and Ms. Chen’s teachings. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
~Jonathan M., father of two intermediate students
Ms. Chen has taught my daughter Natalie piano for the past two years. We had many piano teachers in the past, but Ms. Chen is the best by far. Ms. Chen is great with kids, and she has excellent knowledge and understanding. She is very organized, on time, and kind. Natalie really enjoys having her as a piano teacher. If you are looking for a great piano teacher, I highly recommend her.
~Mehrnaz Shokrai, mother of an intermediate 10-year-old
Our 8-year-old son has been taking lessons from Dr. Chen for several months, and we’ve seen a huge improvement in his knowledge and skill level. Dr. Chen is a patient teacher with a focus on truly mastering the foundations of piano. Our son is happy and excited at the end of each lesson. We are thrilled to have found a great teacher!
~Caitlin R., mother of a young intermediate student
I started piano in my later 40’s and had 3 teachers previously before moving to Gaithersburg. I was really fortunate to find an ideal teacher in Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen is very professional and teaches many skills that I haven’t learned from my previous teachers. She is also flexible in meeting individual needs and interests of adult students. I really enjoy our lessons and have made significant progress without feeling stressed. All thanks to her excellent work!
~Haiyi N., intermediate-level working mother in her 50’s
We are very happy with Hanyin’s instruction. She is currently teaching 3 of us: myself, and my 3- and 5-year-old children. Her teaching style is broad where she can cover a wide range of age groups. She is patient and encouraging. As an adult student of hers, I appreciate her focus on the technical and the creative expression of each piece. She also spends an appropriate amount of time on music theory as well. We are very fortunate to have her instruct our whole family.
~Susan L., 40-year-old beginner & mother of 2 pre-school beginners
We have been fortunate that Hanyin has been able to instruct our two girls, ages 14 and 16, in piano for the last four years. During this time we have seen not only their skill levels increase, but even more importantly, their interests in playing increase. The after-school opportunities and responsibilities for Montgomery County students are numerous, but our girls have chosen piano as the one activity they would most prefer to continue despite the increased demands on their time. I believe this is a reflection of the engaging and thoughtful learning environment that Hanyin creates for her students. I would highly recommend her as a piano teacher.
~The Feis, parents of two intermediate/advanced students
Hanyin is a wonderful teacher. Since studying with her my technique and knowledge of theory have greatly improved. Much of my passion for music is due to her teaching methods and obvious dedication to her students and the piano. I have had a great experience studying with Hanyin. I know that with her help I will keep advancing as a pianist.
~Jennifer Fei, advanced 16-year-old
Since my childhood I have always wanted to learn to play the piano. For a long time I searched for a teacher who is patient and professional. I tried many teachers before I found Miss Chen, and no one was ever as patient and dedicated as Miss Chen. Under her highly professional guidance and very nurturing teaching, I have grown even more passionate about piano, ever more so with every single lesson! I simply love my piano lessons! I highly recommend her to every one who wants to learn the piano. You cannot go wrong with this choice!
~Christine Wei, beginning adult student in her 30’s
Both of our girls love Ms. Chen and look forward to seeing her every Sunday. She makes learning piano fun and interesting for them. She is an effective teacher and gets them to learn theory in addition to giving them songs to practice. We also love that she puts together recitals for them to practice performing in front of others.
~Rebecca Z., mother of 5- & 7-year-old beginners
Miss Hanyin challenges me to do my best in a fun positive way. I like to practice piano and learn new songs each week.
~ Olivia Wang, 8-year-old beginner
My daughter has really enjoyed taking piano lessons with Hanyin Chen. She is a very patient teacher and makes music fun. My daughter will often practice several times a day when learning a song and is very proud of her accomplishments. After just a few short months, my daughter was comfortable enough to perform in a recital dueting with Hanyin! I also like that Hanyin introduces theory along with the lesson books. I have been recommending Hanyin Chen to all my friends!
~Christina Wang, Olivia’s mother
We are very lucky to have Dr. Chen as our piano teacher. She is very professional and patient with little kids. Our 7-year-old daughter looks forward to her piano lesson every week. Dr. Chen is fabulous, and she is so kind and gentle. She keeps our daughter interested and excited about piano. Two weeks ago, my daughter had her very first recital. Our daughter was so nervous beforehand but afterwards not only has she gained performance skills but she has also improved her confidence. Thank you so much Dr. Chen!
~Louise N., mother of 7-year-old beginner
Our three daughters have been taking piano lessons with Dr. Chen for 3 years. Their ages are 7, 8, and 12. We appreciate the regular opportunities where they show their skills in front of either judges in competitions or an audience in recitals. Dr. Chen has taught the girls a lot and has continuously challenged their musical skills. Her deep knowledge and enthusiasm about music and the piano are invaluable in ensuring our daughters perfect their piano techniques and learn how to use their fingers and arms proficiently. We are very happy with their progresses and would highly recommend Dr. Chen.
~The Dinhs, parents of intermediate/advanced students
A friend of mine recommended Dr. Chen, and my daughter has been taking piano lessons with Dr. Chen for almost a year. Dr. Chen is a great piano teacher. She is highly experienced and professional, and you can see that in her lessons and her teaching skills. She not only teaches students how to play the piano, she also teaches music theory which will benefit the students in the long run. Dr. Chen is also kind and patient; she explains things clearly with a lot of patience.
My daughter and I also enjoyed the recital Dr. Chen organized at the Montgomery College. I was impressed with how well some of Dr. Chen’s young students performed.
~Li Li, parent of a 7-year-old beginner
I am an adult piano student of Ms. Chen’s in the Music Department at Montgomery College in Rockville. I very much appreciate her teaching knowledge of piano techniques and theory, experience, and organizational skills. She is very personable and has been outstanding in encouraging me as an adult returning to the piano to continue and grow in my piano skills and repertoire.
Ms. Chen was very skilled at initially assessing my level and setting up a study program that is a good fit for me. She has provided individual instruction and guidance for me in areas that I need to strengthen. She has clearly explained to me the link between the theory and the application in the exercises. She has been very encouraging and helpful in moving me ahead in memorizing and practicing scales and chord progressions. She has also highlighted techniques with hand placement and fingering that have been very helpful. She is sensitive to the balance for my interest in playing the more difficult pieces that I had done earlier (Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Rachmaninoff) with my need to reinforce and strengthen basic techniques and timing.
I recommend Ms. Chen as a very skilled teacher who is flexible and able to adapt to the needs of individual students. She also has strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude to encourage older adult students to continue and progress. I am most appreciative for Ms. Chen and what I have learned from her at Montgomery College.
~ Louise Lovell, intermediate-level retiree in her 60’s