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At Piano Performance Lessons we are proud to announce that we are ranked # 1 in the Chicago area as the most hired piano teachers in 2015. This award was given to us by "Thumbtack" professional services.
Congratulations to our student who won 2nd place performing the 3rd movement of Moonlight sonata by Beethoven at Illinois Music Association Olympic Contest last June 2023! The grades given to her by the jury were all outstanding!! Thank you very much to our outstanding teacher Wendy Mondragon who teaches her online and prepared her for this contest, congratulations both! |
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Ms. Rebeca tells us more about her experience with her piano studies: Pianist, teacher, and student, Rebeca Torres has been studying the piano for over fifteen years; and although she leads two different careers, she calls herself a musician, first and foremost. Rebeca Torres began her piano studies at the age of seven during an after school piano program. Based upon her progress in the group lessons, her parents enrolled her into private piano lessons with a local piano teacher. Throughout her adolescence, she participated in studio recitals, exams, community events, school orchestras, and a local piano competition, where she won a first superior rating. Her natural curiosity and love for music also allowed her to pick up the violin at the age of nine, where she performed in a schoolwide junior orchestra and other group events, organized by her violin instructor. Though Rebeca would grow in her musical education by pursuing two instruments, she would soon realize that the piano would be her life’s passion. Having come from a well-rounded musical education, Rebeca enjoyed playing all styles of music as a young pianist, but she was yet to discover a musical genre, for which she was passionate about. At the age of 14, Rebeca discovered the music of Chopin and Liszt. Having never heard such great piano music with extreme virtuosity, Rebeca dove into the world of classical music; thus, rekindling her passion for the piano. Deciding to take her studies seriously, Rebeca began taking private lessons at a local music school, HGS Music. During her studies, Rebeca grew into a well-rounded musician, learning various styles of music, most notably: virtuosic film arrangements and introductory classical music. Impressed by her performances in student recitals, HGS Music hired Rebeca as a piano teacher, where she currently works and has been teaching for over the past four years. With a passion for teaching beginners and intermediate students, Rebeca strives to create a love for music in her students by making lessons fun, exciting, and educational. Despite being heavily dedicated to the piano, Rebeca also spent her senior year of high school playing as a member of a handbell choir. A new experience for her, Rebeca quickly learned to play the handbells and was able to perform with the group in community tours, church performances, and in a schoolwide competition. Although Rebeca enjoys teaching at her local music school and small private studio, she remains a performer at heart. With the desire of becoming a professional pianist and performer, she joined Piano Performance Lessons Chicago, and has been under the tutelage of Wendy Mondragon. Upon studying with Mrs. Mondragon, Rebeca has built a strong technical foundation, an extensive classical repertoire, an artistic skill level, and was awarded second prize in the Illinois Music Association Olympic Contest. With great guidance and motivation from her teacher, she is currently training to compete nationwide. Although a lover of all periods of classical music, Rebeca has a strong inclination for composers of the Romantic period. The power of breakneck virtuosity tied with deep human emotion influenced her musical tastes. With these ideas and by being true to the score, Rebeca hopes to bring the artistic intentions, emotions, and thoughts of these fantastic composers to life. Her goal as a musician is to share the wonderful world of classical music with others. In addition to her music career, Rebeca recently graduated as Salutatorian of her college class, and holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She actively works as a teacher’s assistant in the math department at Hyles-Anderson College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics. Rebeca plans on becoming a math professor after completing graduate school. Despite the challenges of balancing music and mathematics, such as a heavy coursework and busy schedule, Rebeca enjoys her two passions and uses her life experiences to excel in both fields as she bridges the gap between creativity and classroom study. Taking an unconventional route for her careers, Rebeca has found that having a background in mathematics and music has helped her excel in both fields. |