Piano lessons to inspire lifelong music-making
Private piano and theory lessons
Royal Conservatory exam preparation
About Renée
Renée Huynh (MMus, BMus, ARCT) completed a Masters Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Midori Koga and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Wilfrid Laurier University. In 2003 she graduated from the Young Artists Program through the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney in Australia.
A passionate teacher, Renée is a Certified Teacher through the Royal Conservatory of Music and she is a member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association. She is an active member of the RCM College of Examiners and she previously was on faculty at the University of Toronto's Children's Piano Pedagogy Program and in the Enriched Program at the Merriam School of Music in Oakville.
In addition to teaching from her private studio, Renée is an active accompanist and performer praised for the warmth and versatility of her playing. She is the founder and artistic director of The Living Room Project, a house concert series based in Burlington, Ontario.
Since setting up my private teaching studio in 2010, my mission has been to provide a safe environment for the exploration and lifelong enjoyment of music.
Lesson programs combine principles of Orff and Kodaly, with a strong emphasis on singing and the development of a musical ear. Lessons are designed to meet the specific needs and goals of each student. This includes a balance of theory, sightreading and ear training, and repertoire appropriate to the students level of proficiency. Students will be encouraged to participate in programs to further these goals, such as recitals, masterclasses and festivals.
Teaching Philosophy
Testimonials
"Renée possesses an in-depth knowledge of music, theory, and pedagogical approaches. This enables her to tailor instruction to each student's unique profile of strengths, needs and goals, no matter their age or playing level. She nurtures progress by instilling proper form and technique from the very first lesson. She shares her love of music by fostering musical expression alongside technical rigor. As a parent, I appreciate Renée's warmth and patience in working with my daughter. I highly recommend her as a teacher."
— Anna
"Renée is the consummate professional, as both a gifted performer and an excellent teacher. As a returning adult pianist, Renee's inspired mentorship has encouraged me to take risks with challenging repertoire, and to grow as an amateur musician. Her passion for music is contagious! Each lesson is infused with lighthearted fun and approachability. Her expressive demonstrations and clear and thoughtful explanations have given me new insights in the interpretation and overall appreciation of music. I wholeheartedly recommend Renée as a teacher to any student who wants to progress in their personal musical journey."
— Adult student
"Renée teaches with a sweet discipline. She is very encouraging to my daughter while challenging her to practice and continue to improve."
— Darcie
"Renée is everything you are looking for in a piano teacher. I have to admit right from the beginning when I had the interview with her, seeing how nice she presented herself and how professional she was, I was nervous thinking she might be fully booked and won't even have space available. But we were so lucky! Renée is not only an amazing teacher but she is a beautiful, friendly, gentle person. Every child will love to have her as a teacher. Renée treats the student with so much respect, speaking calmly and encouraging them. She always gives constructive feedback but most importantly she is not forcing the child to learn a certain song to play, on the contrary she uses very smart teaching techniques on different songs to make the child enjoy playing the piano. Our son is looking forward to his piano lesson every week!"
— Anca
Performances
PRESS
"Between performing concerts in private homes, Renée manages to run a small teaching business out of her private Burlington studio. Both of these components of her career allow her to connect with people through music – the thing she loves most about her field. “I feel privileged to be such a regular part of my students’ lives,” she says.
Renée’s love of teaching comes from the positive experiences she had in the one-on-one instruction she received at Laurier. “My private instructors – Heather Taves, Anya Alexeyev and Cynthia Hiebert – not only gave me their undivided attention each week, they shared their years of experience as musicians and teachers and I always felt that I could ask questions freely,” she says.
“Those four years of lessons offered me so much practical wisdom.”
SesayArts Magazine
Arpita Ghosal | October 27, 2016
"Explaining The Living Room Project‘s March 2014 inception, she confirms that “its roots go back much further, perhaps to my childhood, when I would perform recitals for my younger sister and our stuffed toys arranged on chairs in front of the piano.” Later, her piano teacher replicated that atmosphere by hosting recitals in her Thornhill home. “We performed, shared music and food and conversation,” Barabash recalls fondly. “My fellow students and their parents quickly felt like family.”
"The homey familiarity of the living-room concert caught on in Barabash’s home city of Burlington, where she has lived for over 8 years. During that time, she has hosted many informal listening parties in her own home. And when she moved into her current home with its open-format design and spacious living room, she saw that it was the perfect space for house concerts that are open to the public. She also felt that she shouldn’t be the only artist performing. Instead, she envisioned the Project “as a way to invite more young classical musicians to perform here. The performers themselves are all highly-skilled, friendly and knowledgable,” she adds, “and they love guiding audiences through their chosen programs.”
