Teaching Philosophy: "As no single teaching approach suits all students equally, I tailor my piano lessons to each student individually, demonstrating the skills necessary to succeed musically while cultivating their own, individual approach to the music they play. I have found that placing an emphasis on individuality and helping students achieve expression by accessing their inner creative self, have fostered curiosity and furthered longevity in their time with the piano. I support a highly interactive, supportive learning environment, and encourage independence in practicing, allowing students control over their work and progress.
My ultimate goal is to inspire a love for music and personal satisfaction in playing the piano. I have found that students develop confidence and self-esteem as they develop, and that performance reinforces these personal qualities. All of my students perform at annual studio recitals and at recitals in the community throughout the school year and participate
in year-end evaluations and auditions, including the Royal Conservatory, and ABRSM auditions.
Students learn a great deal about music and the piano through their interactions with each other and through shared musical experiences. I have organized monthly musicianship classes for groups of 4-5 students as an extension of their curriculum. Students routinely find these sessions fun, and their growth and progress have benefitted from group learning. I have also held annual studio trips to the opera, ballet, and concert hall, to expand students’ awareness of the world of music beyond their private practice space. Previous studio outings have included performances of The Nutcracker, The Magic Flute, and a piano recital by Andras Schiff at Carnegie Hall in 2022.
I have received great fulfillment in furthering my students’ learning, and observing how music and the piano have shaped their lives and development over the years. I am always learning from my students, and this experience makes the shared musical journey with them all the more rewarding and deeply satisfying. I teach students of all ages, and my approach is based on the classical method, incorporating repertoire, sight-reading, technique, and theory in lessons. I also encourage students to play music that they enjoy."
Biography: Described by The Washington Post as a “superb pianist and an even better musician,” Larissa Sokoloff graduated from the Juilliard Pre-College Division, and earned an AB magna cum laude in Slavic Studies and Music from Harvard while studying privately in Boston with pianist Russell Sherman. Noted for her performances “rich in communicative emotion ... full of grandeur, sweep, and passion” (Roseville Tribune), she has been critically acclaimed for possessing a “dimension of electricity, dead-center accuracy, and artistic command” (The Cincinnati Enquirer).
Larissa received an M.M. from Peabody as a student of Leon Fleisher, studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest with Ferenc Rados on a Fulbright Grant, and worked with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University in Bloomington. Larissa’s studies and performances have taken her throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. She has also worked privately with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lazar Berman, and Andras Schiff. International awards include prizes from the Ettore Pozzoli (Milan) and Nena Wideman International Competitions. Selected performances include appearances in recital and with orchestra at Lincoln Center, the Phillips Collection, the Ravinia Festival, and in Budapest, Lugano, Moscow, Tours, Varese (Milano), and Vienna.
Larissa began teaching in 1998 and joined Note-worthy Experiences in February 2024, where she teaches in-person and online lessons.
My ultimate goal is to inspire a love for music and personal satisfaction in playing the piano. I have found that students develop confidence and self-esteem as they develop, and that performance reinforces these personal qualities. All of my students perform at annual studio recitals and at recitals in the community throughout the school year and participate
in year-end evaluations and auditions, including the Royal Conservatory, and ABRSM auditions.
Students learn a great deal about music and the piano through their interactions with each other and through shared musical experiences. I have organized monthly musicianship classes for groups of 4-5 students as an extension of their curriculum. Students routinely find these sessions fun, and their growth and progress have benefitted from group learning. I have also held annual studio trips to the opera, ballet, and concert hall, to expand students’ awareness of the world of music beyond their private practice space. Previous studio outings have included performances of The Nutcracker, The Magic Flute, and a piano recital by Andras Schiff at Carnegie Hall in 2022.
I have received great fulfillment in furthering my students’ learning, and observing how music and the piano have shaped their lives and development over the years. I am always learning from my students, and this experience makes the shared musical journey with them all the more rewarding and deeply satisfying. I teach students of all ages, and my approach is based on the classical method, incorporating repertoire, sight-reading, technique, and theory in lessons. I also encourage students to play music that they enjoy."
Biography: Described by The Washington Post as a “superb pianist and an even better musician,” Larissa Sokoloff graduated from the Juilliard Pre-College Division, and earned an AB magna cum laude in Slavic Studies and Music from Harvard while studying privately in Boston with pianist Russell Sherman. Noted for her performances “rich in communicative emotion ... full of grandeur, sweep, and passion” (Roseville Tribune), she has been critically acclaimed for possessing a “dimension of electricity, dead-center accuracy, and artistic command” (The Cincinnati Enquirer).
Larissa received an M.M. from Peabody as a student of Leon Fleisher, studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest with Ferenc Rados on a Fulbright Grant, and worked with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University in Bloomington. Larissa’s studies and performances have taken her throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. She has also worked privately with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lazar Berman, and Andras Schiff. International awards include prizes from the Ettore Pozzoli (Milan) and Nena Wideman International Competitions. Selected performances include appearances in recital and with orchestra at Lincoln Center, the Phillips Collection, the Ravinia Festival, and in Budapest, Lugano, Moscow, Tours, Varese (Milano), and Vienna.
Larissa began teaching in 1998 and joined Note-worthy Experiences in February 2024, where she teaches in-person and online lessons.
