Teaching Philosophy: "I began teaching in college. Although my primary focus has been on performance, I have gained valuable teaching experience at the conservatory working with colleagues and occasionally kids. My teaching style emphasizes cultivating interests, exploring the fun elements of music, encouraging creativity, and emphasizing active listening. I myself have strong interests in improvisation, music composition, theory and history, and I like to incorporate these things in my lessons, as I believe these aspects generate curiosity and are as essential as developing healthy and efficient technique.
Throughout my musical education, I have had the privilege of studying under esteemed professors, such as the head of the piano department at Peabody Conservatory of Music, Prof. Moon, and two of my dear teachers at the New England Conservatory, Prof. Victor Rosenbaum and Prof. HaeSun Paik. In particular, I have benefited greatly from Prof. Moon's unique teaching methods, which are rooted in the Viennese school of classical music. There is a lot of emphasis on listening, thinking, and creativity. The method asks that before you play, you must think about the specific musical ideas, expressions, make musical decisions and listen in your heart exactly what you want, and then translate that to technique and technical training. This way, technique always serves music, and technical training is always related to music making. This kind of method enables students to truly listen and create from their heart, and make students true creative musicians. This listening technique enables me to improvise with ease, and I really encourage my students to improvise, as improvisation speaks from the soul and increases one's understanding of music making.”
Biography: 24-year-old Jiawen Eric Guan is currently a master piano student and improviser at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he studies with Prof. Hae Sun Paik. Jiawen has participated in many music festivals, concerts, and competitions. He was the winner of the 2014 Peabody Winter Honors Concert, the 2014 Peabody Concerto competition, the 2016 IIYM semi-finalist, the 2015 MTNA National alternate, the 2018 New England Conservatory Honors recital and the 2019 Atlantic Music Festival Piano competition, as well as the Silver prize winner of the April 2021 Musicale Romantic Style Music Festival competition. He has been the recipient of the Dean's Scholarship at New England Conservatory for 6 years. Jiawen has participated in several music festivals such as Bowdoin Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, and Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival. He has previously studied with Prof. Victor Rosenbaum at New England Conservatory, Prof. Young Hi Moon at Peabody Conservatory, Galina Diveeva of St. Petersburg Conservatory, Eleanor Wong at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, etc., and he has graduated and received the Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from New England Conservatory, where he is currently finishing his master of music degree. Jiawen is currently an organist/pianist at the First Congregational church of Chelsea, he has been the pianist for the Chapelgate Christian Academy choirs and church services throughout his high school time there. Jiawen is also an active chamber musician and has participated in many string trios and quartets at New England Conservatory, as well as baroque ensembles and NEC symphony orchestras.
Eric has been teaching since 2017, and joined Note-worthy Experiences in April 2023.
Throughout my musical education, I have had the privilege of studying under esteemed professors, such as the head of the piano department at Peabody Conservatory of Music, Prof. Moon, and two of my dear teachers at the New England Conservatory, Prof. Victor Rosenbaum and Prof. HaeSun Paik. In particular, I have benefited greatly from Prof. Moon's unique teaching methods, which are rooted in the Viennese school of classical music. There is a lot of emphasis on listening, thinking, and creativity. The method asks that before you play, you must think about the specific musical ideas, expressions, make musical decisions and listen in your heart exactly what you want, and then translate that to technique and technical training. This way, technique always serves music, and technical training is always related to music making. This kind of method enables students to truly listen and create from their heart, and make students true creative musicians. This listening technique enables me to improvise with ease, and I really encourage my students to improvise, as improvisation speaks from the soul and increases one's understanding of music making.”
Biography: 24-year-old Jiawen Eric Guan is currently a master piano student and improviser at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he studies with Prof. Hae Sun Paik. Jiawen has participated in many music festivals, concerts, and competitions. He was the winner of the 2014 Peabody Winter Honors Concert, the 2014 Peabody Concerto competition, the 2016 IIYM semi-finalist, the 2015 MTNA National alternate, the 2018 New England Conservatory Honors recital and the 2019 Atlantic Music Festival Piano competition, as well as the Silver prize winner of the April 2021 Musicale Romantic Style Music Festival competition. He has been the recipient of the Dean's Scholarship at New England Conservatory for 6 years. Jiawen has participated in several music festivals such as Bowdoin Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, and Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival. He has previously studied with Prof. Victor Rosenbaum at New England Conservatory, Prof. Young Hi Moon at Peabody Conservatory, Galina Diveeva of St. Petersburg Conservatory, Eleanor Wong at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, etc., and he has graduated and received the Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from New England Conservatory, where he is currently finishing his master of music degree. Jiawen is currently an organist/pianist at the First Congregational church of Chelsea, he has been the pianist for the Chapelgate Christian Academy choirs and church services throughout his high school time there. Jiawen is also an active chamber musician and has participated in many string trios and quartets at New England Conservatory, as well as baroque ensembles and NEC symphony orchestras.
Eric has been teaching since 2017, and joined Note-worthy Experiences in April 2023.