About Me
Tian Li started playing piano at age 4, studying in the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. At University of Nevada, Reno, she continued her piano study with Dr. James Winn and also received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting and master’s degree of music in piano performance with scholarships. During graduate school, she was a teaching assistant for the music department, accompanying choir classes, competitions and student recitals. She was the second place winner for 2013 Reno Chamber Orchestra concerto competition and first place winner in 2014 University of Nevada, Reno concerto competition. She has given two personal recitals, three chamber music concerts, played with UNR orchestra and Ruby Mountain Symphony for concerto performance in Elko, NV. She has also adjudicated the Nevada Silver State Music Competition in year 2013 and 2014. She relocated to Santa Clara CA in 2015, has been teaching at Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) in Mountain View, CA and her home studio. In 2022 she moved back to Reno, NV and continues teaching at her home studio and remotely for CSMA.
She has over seven years of full time teaching experience with students from ages 5 to adults in both group and private lessons. Lessons can be taught bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese. She is an active member of Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). She specializes in preparing students for piano evaluation exams (RCM, CM and National Guild) and competitions. Her students have won numerous prizes including first place in USOMC (US Open Music Competition) at Bay Area California. She usually hosts two in person recitals per year for her students. In 2020, she successfully passed the training and got the certification for RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) teaching online course. Her studio currently offers remote lessons and online recitals.
“I often add background introduction, duet playing, music theory, ear training, sight-reading and sight-singing parts into the lesson to make it more interesting, to deepen my students’ understanding of music and to help cultivate their musicianship. I believe in consistency and discipline. A good learning attitude plus hard work will pay off eventually. My lessons focus on building a solid foundation and I encourage students to pick their favorite pieces to be more engaged and motivated. Parents are always welcomed to sit in observing the lesson and are recommended to practice with students at home, which would help students progress a lot faster."
