ELISA DONGEUN KIM

Founder, Director & Pianist

Bachelor of Music, Manhattan School of Music

Master of Music, Manhattan School of Music

Always a dedicated educator, Elisa Kim founded Tenafly Music Academy in early 2008 and has taught piano privately and in groups for over a decade. Elisa has been on the faculty at Ivycrest Montessori private school in Fullerton and taught keyboard classes in Orange County, California. In addition to directing TMA, Elisa teaches general music and singing at the Korean School in Tenafly Middle School on Saturdays.

Elisa has performed numerous chamber music and solo recitals in New York, Hawaii and California and studied piano pedagogy and ensemble performance at California State University at Fullerton. She also studied privately with Oxana Yablonskaya at the Juilliard School in New York City.

Elisa on discovering the piano:

“I started learning the piano at age 6. Initially it was because of my parents. I participated in my first competition at age 7 and remember being so nervous and afraid. But once I was onstage I enjoyed the experience. Clementi’s Sonatina No. 4. Ever since then, I had the desire to continue studying music and continued to follow this passion... I like my instrument because I can express my entire range of feelings through it – the piano is always there for me to fall back on. When I am happy I can dance and run with it, and when I’m angry I can bang on it!”

Elisa on her teachers and great inspirations:

“Shortly after I came to New York, through the introduction of a friend, I met Oxana Yablonskaya. Under her tutelage, my technical skills accelerated. I studied with her for one year. Then, from 1997 – 2003, I studied with Jeffrey Cohen, and this marked a period of deep musical inspiration. Cohen was just such a great person, always very friendly and humorous, always comfortable to be around. His playing is very powerful, he could sight read anything (actually, I am better!). What was particularly remarkable about him was his posture, his musical expression through the body. Whenever he listens and demonstrates to students, he sings with his entire being, and I learned from him how to truly express what was being said in the music. Before I came to the states, in Korea, I knew I was pretty good at technique, but not at expression. After studying with Cohen, I felt immensely liberated as a musician.

Being in New York City as a student I was influenced by so many people – ranging from guest artists at school, like Evgeny Kissen, to the intense musicians that play their instruments and bang on pots and pans in subway stations... When I was in high school in high school, my teacher gave me a cassette tape of Kissin playing pieces by Chopin. It was more than human – completely transcendent.

My favorite composer is Liszt – because he challenges my musical skills and technically. I feel a sense of unparalleled accomplishment and fulfillment after playing his Tarantella. I love listening to Vladimir Horowitz: when I hear his playing, more than playing, I feel like he is just playing with the piano, as one body – not a distinct piano and person but united. Beethoven Sonatas, the Appassionata.... I listen to this whenever I want to recharge my batteries...”