Studio stories, student milestones, and music lesson resources.

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Emily

By Erin Springsteen

We are honored to feature longtime Opus 1 student Emily , who has studied piano with Teacher Doris for over 10 years. From earning ABRSM Grade 8 Distinction to...

Featured MYC Alumni: Darren

By Erin Springsteen

☀️🎻 Opus 1 is thrilled to feature MYC Alumni Darren! Darren, now 9 years old, began his music journey in our MYC program, completing both Sunshine and...

Featured MYC Alumni: Marco

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 is proud to feature Marco,one of our longtime students who began his musical journey in the MYC Sunbeam class with Teacher Yuri at just five years old....

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Aria

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is honored to spotlight one of its hardest working and most advanced young musicians: Aria! At just 11 years old, Aria is already...

Young-Rang, Julia, and Pei-Shan at the 2025 Faculty Recital

By Opus 1 Music Studio Editorial Team

Voice, piano, and violin came together at the 2025 Opus 1 Faculty Recital as Young-Rang, Julia, and Dr. Pei-Shan performed as an ensemble. Watch the...

Opus 1 Outstanding Students: Dana and Denny

By Erin Springsteen

Congratulations to siblings Dana and Denny for their recent 2nd and 4th place wins at the U.S. Open Music Competition! We are so proud of their hard work and...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Aidan

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is proud to spotlight one of its longest-standing piano students, Aidan, who has been under the mentorship of Teacher Marco since joining...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Sky

By Erin Springsteen

Wentian Sky, an advanced piano student who recently began studying at Opus 1 Music Studio, has demonstrated that hard work, dedication, and a deep...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Olivia

By Erin Springsteen

Olivia, a talented young vocalist from Opus 1 Music Studio, has recently achieved a remarkable milestone: she was accepted into the prestigious 2025 All-State...

Inspiring Violin Teacher at Opus 1: Emily

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to welcome its newest violin teacher, Emily! Her journey with the violin began in childhood, inspired by her older sister. “I...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Ethan

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to feature longtime piano student, Ethan! At just 16 years old, Ethan has spent over 11 years mastering the piano, a journey...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Tiana

By Erin Springsteen

In this interview, we meet Tiana, a talented 7-year-old pianist who has been learning under the guidance of Teacher Chloe for the past two years. Recently,...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Valentina

By Erin Springsteen

In this interview, we meet Valentina, a 9-year-old pianist who, like her younger sister Tiana, has been making waves in the music world. Valentina has been...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Viola

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Viola, a vibrant and confident 9-year-old who has been a part of the Opus 1 family for four years. With her spunky personality and enthusiasm for...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Isaac

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Isaac, an 11-year-old violinist and quick study who has impressed everyone at Opus 1 Music Studio with his remarkable talent. Before joining us, Isaac was...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Roshni

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is proud to feature accomplished piano student, Roshni! Roshni embarked on her musical journey at the age of 4, igniting a passion that...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Lyra

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Lyra, a gifted ten-year-old musician who has been studying piano, cello, and vocals at Opus 1 Music Studio. Since the age of five, Lyra has immersed...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Joshua

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Joshua, a talented young pianist whose musical journey began at the age of six with a simple inspiration from a Facebook video. His dedication to the...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Coltrane

By Erin Springsteen

At the age of seven, Coltrane's musical journey began when he became intrigued by the electric keyboard in his family's home. Now, six and a half years later,...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Sophia

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Sophia, a confident and dedicated Opus 1 student whose passion for piano shines through her commitment to practice. Sophia finds joy in competing and...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Aritra

By Erin Springsteen

Meet Aritra, a dedicated violinist with a passion for music that spans over seven years. Having started his musical journey in elementary school, Aritra...

Inspiring Voice and Piano Teacher at Opus 1: Young-Rang

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to introduce its newest voice and piano Teacher, Young-Rang! Reflecting on her early exposure to the world of opera, Young-Rang...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Robbie

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is committed to aiding students in bringing their musical aspirations to life. Robbie, a dedicated guitar, and vocal student, stands as a...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Bobby

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to present a Q&A with one of our outstanding violin students, Bobby! Bobby started taking violin lessons two years ago when he...

Inspiring Piano Teacher at Opus 1: Dr. Lina

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is delighted to introduce its newest master piano teacher, Dr. Lina! Dr. Lina comes from a musical family, and was inspired by her older...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Wyatt

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to present a Q&A with one of our esteemed young students, Wyatt! Wyatt embarked on his musical journey at Opus 1 just last year...

Inspiring Voice Teacher at Opus 1: Akshara

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is delighted to present Akshara, a new addition to our distinguished team of voice instructors. Music has always been an integral part of...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Alexis

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is a place where musical aspirations become attainable realities. With a dedication to nurturing talent and fostering success, Opus 1 takes...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Harry

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio stands out as a nurturing environment where many of our exceptional students embark on their musical journeys from a young age, encouraged...

Inspiring Voice Teacher at Opus 1: Lauren

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to welcome the talented and passionate voice teacher, Lauren, to our esteemed team of instructors. Her lifelong journey into...

Opus 1 Outstanding Student: Ashley

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio is extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to watch its students grow up and blossom into successful, well rounded adults. This has...

Inspiring Piano Teacher at Opus 1: Ryan

By Erin Springsteen

Opus 1 Music Studio recently welcomed new piano teacher Ryan to the team. Ryan has an admiration for classical piano that stemmed from an unlikely source....

Piano student Claire on compositions before her performance in the Spring Recital 2022

Where do you draw your inspiration when composing music? I get a lot of inspiration from nature and many of my pieces (including the one that will be played at...

Teacher Tyler shares with what it takes to prepare and perform for a music competition as one of his own students prepares for their chance at a music competition.

What goes into practicing for a student that is participating in a music competition? There are three main things to consider for music competitions.

Teacher Mi Shares Benefit of Starting Lessons Early, Impact of the Tech Boom on Music, and Preference for Piano Adventures Books

Beginning at an early age is one of the best contributors for success in music. The challenge is often managing short attention spans and behavior when kids...

Cello Teacher Elliot Shares the Importance of Family Support, Dedication to Practicing, and How He Got Into Juilliard

You graduated in cello performance from Juilliard, considered one of the most internationally prestigious music schools in the world, with an acceptance rate...

Dr. Leah Shares What Practicing Means, Perseverance When Performing, and Compares Teaching in Korea and the US

You have a large collection of international performances as both a student and a performer. Many musicians attribute their success to how they practiced to...

Piano Teacher Aaron Shares Exams, His "Outstanding Teacher" Award, and Comparing Chinese Lessons to the U.S.

In 2018, you were awarded the Extraordinary Piano Teacher Award from the Shandong Musicians Association in China. What areas of your teaching style do you feel...

Teacher Tram Talks About In-Person Lessons & Practice Time

You’ve spent a lifetime learning to play piano. What skills of your own made you an excellent piano teacher that you pass on to your own students? When...

Violin Teacher Luis Discusses How Great Performers Become Great Teachers and Experience as an International Performer

In addition to a decade of teaching, you’ve also performed internationally. What is your most memorable performance and what about that specific time makes it...

Teacher John Explores Types of Guitars, Styles, and Performance Insights

Hi John, thanks for being part of our Opus 1 Faculty Spotlight. You’ve recently joined us this past month as one of our new guitar teachers.

Teacher Yuri Compares Teaching Group & Private Students, and Learning in Both China and the United states

Hi Yuri, thank you for taking the time to be part of our Faculty Spotlight! You’ve been with us now at Opus 1 for over a year and been teaching both private...

Teacher Roger Shares Preparing for Lead Opera Roles and Helping Students

Hi, Roger. We’re excited to feature you in this month’s Faculty Spotlight at Opus 1. I want to hear a bit about your performances. You’ve performed leading...

Teacher Yamila Shares Her Time at Peabody Conservatory and Experience with Musical Theater

Hi Yamila, welcome to Opus 1! You’re a new member of our faculty and we’re excited to have you joining us. Can you share a little bit about what brought you to...

Dr. Patty Shares Skills That Helped Her Become a Level III Master Teacher at Opus 1

Before joining us at Opus 1, you taught as a college professor for several universities in Texas. What similarities and differences have you noticed with...

Teacher Dana shares her experience Merging Music and Business Backgrounds

While in school you accomplished both degrees in music (piano performance) as well as international studies in business. Can you share what inspired you to...

Teacher John Shares the Importance of Growing Up with a Good Teacher, Overcoming Performance Anxiety, and His Passion for Teaching

Learn about Opus 1’s violin teacher John, and his experiences as a solo violinist growing up, his experience with stage fright, and approach toward teaching.

Teacher Basma on Auditions for Juilliard, Int'l Orchestra Performances, and Arabic Music

Opus 1 Music Studio is proud to be joined by new violin faculty member, Basma Edrees. Basma is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she received her...

Dr. Stella Shares Comical Memories from Music

Dr. Stella shares her insight and memories from her time growing up as a student, a performer, and now as a teacher!

Student Sophie Lyons to Perform Lead Role in the Musical Seussical!!

Opus 1 is proud of Teacher Michelle's voice student Sophie Lyons who will be performing the lead role in Graham Middle School's _Seussical_ the musical!

Recitals are coming up!Teacher Kiersten shares starting piano at age 7 and her own performance experience.

Teacher Kiersten is a new face at Opus 1 Music Studio. Learn more about her life growing up with piano at age 7 and performance experience that every student...

Teacher Tyler on Composition

By Doris Lellouche

Dr. Tyler Harrison tells us about his latest composition, Symphony for Wind Ensemble. We discuss what it takes to be a composer and how lifes challenges can...

Teacher Michelle on her musical journey

By Doris Lellouche

From winning a national TV music contest, to traveling internationally with a choir as a kid, teacher Michelle gives us an inside look into her life and tips...

Get to know Mei

By Doris Lellouche

Our Administrative Staff Mei talks about what she loves most about Opus 1 Music Studio. How long have you been with Opus 1? I started with Opus 1 on March...

Teacher Andoni on teaching Jazz music

By Doris Lellouche

Our piano teacher Andoni explained how Jazz influenced him and his teaching style. Why did you pick Jazz as your specialization? I came from Gilroy where Jazz...

Healing Iraq's little souls, one music note at a time

By Doris Lellouche

Our Piano Teacher Christine just came back to the Bay Area after a year in Erbil, Iraq, where she taught Music and Music History to middle school and high...

5 little things that will boost your child's musical performance

By Doris Lellouche

There are two types of learners: the “learn for fun” type and the “serious” type. Although the pressure levels are different, we all want the same thing for...