August 29, 2026 (90 min)

Lesson Assignments

Practice:

Cold run through; make notes

Spot all technical issues

LH/RH alone practice on two to three pieces each day. Do this in sections at a medium tempo and then speed build (focus on the ones that are least secure in your fingers)

💚Chopin, Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58. I. Allegro maestoso

Edition — assignment. I copied the Paderewski edition into your project. You now have that plus the Jan Ekier edition. The IMSLP score you started from has unreliable fingerings, which is why so many of them fight your muscle memory. For passages like m. 20 and elsewhere, compare the fingerings between the two editions and use whichever you judge best. Reach out with questions.

Keep an eye out for rests and treat them clearly. You noticed this is a common theme across several of your pieces — take that seriously.

m. 1 - assignment. The first G is an appoggiatura over the B minor chord. It's on the beat and it delays the resolution — it leans into the sound. Slightly lengthen the G, but don't make it too apparent. Mark it in your music.

m. 1 - remember the maestoso. Decide the character of that first descending gesture. Someone opening the door and demanding attention? A villain entering the room? A clear character will also steady your rhythm. Not every chord is a big statement — the opening gesture is the arrival, the chords after it are motion toward the F-sharp major.

m. 2 - don't connect the first two chords; there's no slur. No pedal on the eighth-note chords. Define the rhythmic hierarchy — you heard the last chords (E minor) as stronger, which works.

m. 3 - rolled chord: leave out the bottom B. It isn't reachable cleanly and it isn't connected anyway. Finish the roll together with the last quarter of the left hand so they end at the same time. Less force. Relax, focus the melody within the chords, clean the pedal.

m. 6 - assignment. No pedal connecting the two chords from beat 2 to beat 3. Don't connect them. It's all staccato.

mm. 7-8 - articulation: come off those chords more. Right now there's a break between 7 and 8 that's neither legato nor detached. Less pedal on the staccato chords.

m. 8 - less pedal, staccato chords, then the forzando right-hand octave. I understand what you're doing by extending it, but it's a little much for my taste. Keep it almost in time, and connect.

m. 9 - depends entirely on voicing. That was a lot of crescendo — pull it back.

m. 11 - rolled chord: play the right hand together with the top note of the left-hand rolled chord.

mm. 14-16 - let the harmonic progression guide your pedal. Pedal on the harmonic changes, so beats 1 and 3 of each measure. You were overcomplicating this — at tempo it makes much more sense.

mm. 15-16 - good pattern work. The left-hand pattern rises by half step each time. The right hand does too, with one exception: the first of the four notes isn't consistent, but the last three are. Most patterns have small exceptions — there's still enough to anchor your memory to.

m. 17 - beat 4 was rushed. The left-hand F octave lands with the right-hand D. Hold the E. Try 5-4, or 5-5-4-4-5.

mm. 17-18 - grace notes: hold the lower two quarter notes of beat 4 in each measure, and line up the left-hand octave with the final note of the right hand.

m. 19 - pedal down for beat 1, off for beats 2 and 3, back down for beat 4. Explore the fingering — try 1-2-1-2, much easier than what the other edition prints.

m. 20 - gradually come off the pedal halfway through the measure. Practice method: isolate each of the three voices on its own — top alone, middle alone, bottom alone (no need for the staccato, just the voice). Then add rhythms, and accent practice on every other note.

m. 21 - assignment. Pedal, and observe the rests. You're gradually slowing down here and getting lighter. This should sound like moonlight.

mm. 23-28 - assignment. Treat the left hand with more pedal, but start each ascending chromatic line at ppp. Then in m. 28 you can really crescendo.

The ascending chromatic line isn't meant to be clear. It's a gesture — an old, distant cloud, a rumble. Very soft, and don't let too much bass through.

mm. 25 and 27 - right-hand rolled chords. Timing can be flexible, but the melody note lands on the beat. Whichever voice carries the melody, down-stem or up-stem, that note is the one on the beat — not the bottom of the roll. Then gradual quarter-pedal changes through it. (Flutter pedal doesn't mean literally flapping your foot; it means partial, frequent changes.)

mm. 31-34 - really soften the 16th notes. Think of it as two voices. There's a down-stem melody line here your old edition didn't show — find it.

mm. 33-34 - technical. Drop your hand into the octave so arm weight makes the sound, then immediately lighten on the 16th notes. Loosen right before the octave so you aren't tense going into it. Change the pedal there.

mm. 41-56 - assignment. Memorize in this order:

1. Melody only, right hand — memorized.

2. Bass notes only — not the full left hand, just the bass notes — memorized.

3. Melody and bass notes together.

4. The middle texture of the left hand, on its own.

5. Left hand completely alone.

6. Then add the right hand.

You have this by ear but not in your fingers. This sequence fixes that. Bass and melody are the skeleton — anchor those and everything else hangs off them. Once the bass notes are solid, keep the bass grounded and the middle texture quieter than the rest.

mm. 57-60 - left hand: use your wrist. Don't hold onto any notes or you'll get stuck. It's marked legato, but the pedal is doing that work.

mm. 57-60 - right hand is a little ad libitum. Keep it free — an improvisatory, imagination-land moment before it opens into one of those beautiful passages.

mm. 63-64 - don't get stuck on the last 16th before the chords. Let go completely. Right hand: drop into the second octave, then let go, close the hand, come up. Down, up, release. Close the hand as much as you can through both measures.

mm. 65-72 - a real minefield for memory. It was hard for me to secure, and I'd rather you learn it correctly the first time than repair it later. Learn it in parts, by voice — the right hand has up-stems and down-stems in the treble clef, so the voices separate easily. Keep the 16th notes very quiet and focus the up-stem melody notes. Practice the voices in different combinations.

mm. 76-91 - identify where the up-stem melody notes are and isolate them. Remember it's dolce — different pianists bring out different things here, but don't try to bring out everything at once. Practice bass notes only through this section as well.

mm. 76-91 - careful of hidden ties. There are a lot of them and they're easy to miss. Example: end of m. 82, you play 1-2 and then your thumb takes over the A. That's a tie.

m. 92 onward - the development. Optional this week; it would be great if you get there. Be warned: it's full of inner voices and competing melodies, and it's a maze. When you start it, learn it in parts the same way.

💚Chopin, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23

Review for the piano program audition. The first theme sounded very beautiful.

💚Rameau, Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin in G Major/Minor: Les Sauvages, L'Enharmonique, L'Égyptienne

Review for the piano program audition.

2026-2027 Repertoire

Rameau, Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin in G Major/Minor: Les Sauvages, L'Enharmonique, L'Égyptienne

Beethoven, Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, "Appassionata." III. Allegro ma non troppo

Chopin, Nocturne in F-sharp Major, Op. 15, No. 2

Chopin, Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58. I. Allegro maestoso

Ravel, Miroirs, M. 43. III. Une barque sur l'océan

Kapustin, Eight Concert Studies for Piano, Op. 40. III. Toccatina

(Chopin, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52)

💚Review Pieces: 10 min per day. Get to a decent state. ROTATE the items below.

ENGAGED SLOW-MO PRACTICE.

Rachmaninoff, Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18. I. Moderato Schumann, Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 Debussy, Études, Book II, No. 11, Pour les arpèges composés Chopin, Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31 Liszt, 2 Études de concert, S. 145, No. 1: Waldesrauschen (4:30) Bach, Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 856, Book 1 Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1. I, II Debussy, Images 🖤Beethoven Sonata movements III and IV 🖤Scriabin, 8 Études, Op. 42, No. 5 in C-sharp Minor

YOUNG ARTISTS PIANO COMPETITIONS https://crescendocompetition.org/international-competition/ Pacific Stars International Piano Competition Virtual 2024 https://www.pacificstars.org/professionalwinners Won first place Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey Video recording: Mendelssohn Bravura 2023 Young Artists Concerto Competition Video recording: Mendelssohn Hill Concerto Competition Lyra (NYC DiMenna Center) Portugal Music Teachers National Association (Senior) 2024 Nazareth University Competition 2024 The Claudette Sorel Piano Competition & Piano Fellows Program 2024 New York International Piano Competition (June 2026) https://thenyipc.org/competition/ Interlochen Summer: June 17-23 (confirmed)

All five 2023 recital pieces

NOPI: July 15th

Mendelssohn

2023 Radda Rise International Piano Competition

Participated

Bohemians Young Artists Piano Competition

Received Honorable Mention

2021 Radda Rise International Piano Competition

2nd Place in Division 2: October 5, 2021

New Orleans Virtual International Competition

Submitted. Results announced.

CONCERTI Haydn

Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVIII:11

Movement 3: Rondo all'Ungarese: Allegro assai

Mendelssohn

Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 40 (Movement 3)

BAROQUE Handel

Chaconne in G Major, HWV 435

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Prelude and Fugue No. ? in C Minor

Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 856 (L. 10, A)

French Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 815 (L. 7, A)

Allemande (L. 7, A)

Gigue (L. 7, A)

Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775

Invention No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779

Invention No. 12 in A Major, BWV 783 (L. 8, A)

Invention No. 15 in B Minor, BWV 786 (L. 8, A)

Sinfonia No. 8 in F Major, BWV 794 (L. 9, A)

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

Sonata in E Major, K. 531 (L. 8, A)

Sonata in G Major, L. 487 (L. 9, A)

CLASSICAL Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1

Complete

Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2 (L. 10, B)

I. Allegro

Sonata in G Minor, Op. 49, No. 1 (L. 8, B)

Sonata in G Major, Op. 49, No. 2 (L. 8, B)

Muzio Clementi (1752-1832)

Six Sonatinas, Op. 36

Complete

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Piano Sonata No. 53 in E Minor, Hob. XVI:34 (L. 9, B)

III. Presto

Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:49

I. Allegro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Sonata in C Major, K. 545. I. Allegro (L. 8, B)

One movement

ROMANTIC Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806-1874)

L'orage (The Storm), Op. 109, No. 13 (L. 8, Etude)

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Étude in A-flat Major, Op. 10, No. 10

Valse in F Major, Op. 69, No. 1 (L. 8, C)

Waltz in B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2 (L. 8, C)

Waltz in F Major, Op. 34, No. 3

Nocturne in B-flat Minor, Op. 9, No. 1

Preludes, Op. 28, Nos. 8 and 10

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Humoreske in C Major, Op. 6, No. 3 (L. 8, C)

Notturno, Op. 54, No. 4

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Gondellied (Barcarole) in A Major (L. 8, C)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Études-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 7 in G Minor

Prelude in D Major, Op. 23, No. 4

Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Album für die Jugend, Op. 68, No. 12: Knecht Ruprecht (L. 8, C)

IMPRESSIONISTIC / POST-ROMANTIC Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Images, Livre I

Reflets dans l'eau

Children's Corner

Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (L. 10, D)

The Little Shepherd (L. 8, D)

Page d'album (L. 8, D)

Préludes, Book 2, L. 123

1. Bruyères

1. "General Lavine" - eccentric

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Improvisation in C-sharp Minor, Op. 84, No. 5, from Huit pièces brèves (L. 9, Etude)

Barcarolle No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 26

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Prelude in A Minor (L. 8, D)

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)

Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 11, No. 22 (L. 8, D)

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Music for Children, Op. 65

No. 6, Waltz (L. 7, C)

No. 12

MODERN / 21st CENTURY

"Sightreading Pieces" in your Newzik. DAILY

💚Great American Songbook: left off on page 32

Listen to each song you read on Spotify and become familiar with the tune so you can play it better for the solo piano version.

Ella Fitzgerald is a good reference for jazz standards

🖤Beethoven Piano Sonatas (paused at Op. 27, No. 1)

🖤Brahms Piano Works (paused at p. 12)

Bach, 15 Inventions (completed 2023)

Shostakovich, Children's and Easy Pieces, Op. 69 (finished March 2023)

Tchaikovsky, Album for the Young, Op. 39 (finished November 3, 2022)

Grieg, Lyric Pieces in Newzik, Op. 54 (finished August 2022)

2024 Final Recital 2023 Final Recital 1:00 pm Gershwin Debussy, Reflets dans l'eau Handel (5:50) 3:00 pm Haydn (6:00) Rachmaninoff (4:23)

YOUNG ARTISTS PIANO COMPETITIONShttps://crescendocompetition.org/international-competition/

Pacific Stars International Piano Competition

1. Virtual 2024

2. https://www.pacificstars.org/professionalwinners

3. Won first place

Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey

1. Video recording: Mendelssohn

Bravura 2023 Young Artists Concerto Competition

1. Video recording: Mendelssohn

Hill Concerto Competition

Lyra (NYC DiMenna Center)

Portugal

Music Teachers National Association (Senior)

1. 2024

Nazareth University Competition

1. 2024

The Claudette Sorel Piano Competition & Piano Fellows Program

1. 2024

New York International Piano Competition (June 2026)

1. https://thenyipc.org/competition/

Interlochen Summer: June 17-23 (confirmed

1. All five 2023 recital pieces

NOPI: July 15th

1. Mendelssohn

2023 Radda Rise International Piano Competitio

1. Participated

Bohemians Young Artists Piano Competition

1. Received Honorable Mention

2021 Radda Rise International Piano Competition

1. 2nd Place in Division 2: October 5, 2021

New Orleans Virtual International Competition

1. Submitted. Results announced.

CONCERTI

1. Haydn

   1. Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob:XVIII:11

      • Movement 3: Rondo all’Ungarese: Allegro assai

2. Mendelssohn:

   1. Concert No. 2 in D Minor, (Movement 3)

BAROQUE

1. Händel

   1. Chaconne in G Major, HVB 435

2. Johan Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

   1. Prelude and Fugue No. ? In C Minor

   2. Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 856 (L. 10, A)

   3. French Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major BWV 815 (L. 7, A)

      1. Allemande (L. 7, A)

      2. Gigue (L. 7, A)

   4. Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775

   5. Invention No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779

   6. Invention No. 12 in A Major, BWV 783 (L. 8, A)

   7. Invention No. 15 in B Minor, BWV 786 (L. 8, A)

   8. Sinfonia No. 8 in F Major, BWV 794 (L. 9, A)

3. Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

   1. Sonata in E Major, K 531 (L. 8, A)

   2. Sonata in G Major L 487, Domenico Scarlatti (L. 9, A)

CLASSICAL

1. L. V. Beethoven (1770-1827)

   1. Sonata Op. 10 No. 1 in C Minor (No. 5)

      1. Complete

   2. Sonata Op. 10 No. 2 in F Major (No. 6) (L. 10, B)

      1. I. Allegro

   3. Sonata in G Minor, op. 49, no. 1 (L. 8, B)

   4. Sonata in G Major Op 49 No. 2 (L. 8, B)

2. Muzio Clementi ()

   1. Six Sonatinas, Op. 36

      1. Complete

3. Haydn

   1. Piano Sonata, No. 53 in E Minor, Hob. XVI:34 (L. 9-B)

      1. III: Presto

   2. Piano Sonata, No. 59 in E-flat Major Hob. XVI:49:

      1. I: Allegro

4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

   1. Sonata in C Major, K 545, Allegro (L. 8, B)

      1. One movement

ROMANTIC

1. Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806-1874)

   1. The Storm Op. 109 No. 13 (L. 8, Etude)

2. Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

   1. Chopin: Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 10 No. 10

   2. Valse Op 69 No. 1 (L. 8, C)

   3. Waltz Op. 69 No. 2 in B minor (L. 8, C)

   4. Waltz in F Major Op. 34 No. 3

   5. Nocturne in B-flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1

   6. Prelude Op. 28 No. 8 & 10

3. Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

   1. Humoreske in C Major Op. 6 No. 3 (L. 8, C)

   2. Notturno, Op. 54 No. 4

4. Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

   1. Gondellied (Barcarole) in A Major (L. 8, C)

5. Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

   1. Etude Tableaux, Op. 33 No. 7 in G Minor

   2. Prelude op. 23 no. 4 in D Major

   3. Prelude op. 23 no. 5 in G Minor

6. Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

   1. Album für die Jugend, Op. 68 No. 12 Knecht Rubrecht (L. 8, C)

IMPRESSIONISTIC / POST-ROMANTIC

1. Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

   1. Images: Livre I

      1. Reflets dans l’eau

   2. Children’s Corner:

      1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (L. 10, D)

      2. The Little Shepherd (L. 8, D)

   3. Page d’Album (L. 8, D)

   4. Préludes, Book 2, L. 123

      1. 5, Bruyères

      2. 6. “General Lavine” - eccentric

2. Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

   1. Improvisation in C-sharp minor Op. 84 No. 5 from Huit Pièces Brèves (L. 9 Etude)

   2. Barcarolle Op. 26 No. 1 in A Minor

3. Maurice Ravel (1875-1737)

   1. Prelude in A Minor (L. 8, D)

4. Alexander Scriabin ()

   1. Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 11 No. 22 by (L. 8, D)

5. Sergei Prokofiev ()

   1. Op. 65

      1. No. 6 Waltz (L. 7: C)

      2. No. 12

MODERN / 21st CENTURY

“Sightreading Pieces” in you Newzik. DAIL

1. 💚Great American Songbook: left off on page 32

1. Listen to each song you read on Spotify and become familiar with the tune so you can play it better for the solo piano version.

2. Ella Fitzgerald is a good reference for jazz standards

1. 🖤Beethoven Piano Sonatas (paused at op. 27 no. 1)

2. 🖤Brahms Piano Works (Paused at p. 12)

3. Bach, 15 Inventions (completed 2023)

4. Shostakovich, Children’s and Easy Pieces, Op. 69 (finished March, 2023)

5. Tchaikovsky, Album for the Young, op. 39 (finished November 3, 2022)

6. Grieg Lyric Pieces in Newzik (op. 54) (finished August 2022)

2024 Final Recital8

2023 Final Recital

1. 1:00 pm

   1. Gershwin

   2. Debussy, Reflets dans l’eau

   3. Handel (5:50)

2. 3:00 pm

   1. Haydn (6:00)

   2. Rachmaninoff (4:23