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Golden Key Piano School’s February 2026 Newsletter

Dear Golden Key Piano School Community,

As February unfolds, we are inspired by the passion and dedication our students bring to the keys every day. This month is all about celebrating the love of music and the progress we’ve made together. Below, you’ll find some wonderful faculty news and exciting opportunities to get involved this season.

1. Masterclass with Temirzhan Yerzhanov

We are honored to welcome back Temirzhan Yerzhanov this year for another masterclass dedicated to our advanced students. Named ‘Best Performer of the Year’ by San Francisco Classical Voice, Maestro Yerzhanov is a Gold Medalist of the International Robert Schumann Piano Competition and has performed at world-renowned venues including Carnegie Hall and the London Wigmore Hall.

As a graduate and former faculty member of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, his students have gone on to win top prizes at prestigious competitions like The Queen Elisabeth and The Tchaikovsky.

Participation Details:

Space is limited for this exclusive session. If you are an advanced student interested in participating, please discuss this with your teacher immediately to begin preparing your piece.

Date: Sunday, April 19th, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM (Duration: Approx. 2–3 hours)
Location: DC Piano 801 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
Format: Each participant will receive a 30-minute lesson.
Participant Fee: $90
Observer Fee: $15

Temirzhan Yerzhanov

2. Save the Date: Graduation Recital

We are proud to announce the Graduation Recital for our students who will be leaving for college this year. This is a special opportunity to celebrate their years of dedication and the musical legacy they leave behind at Golden Key Piano School.

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Piedmont Piano Company, 1728 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, United States

We invite you to celebrate our graduating students, please RSVP by responding to this email. We look forward to celebrating together!

3. February Raffle: Spread the Love of Music

At Golden Key Piano School, we believe love is the “Golden Key” in the learning process. This February, we invite you to participate in our February Raffle for a chance to gift the joy of music to a friend or family member.

The Prize: A Gift Certificate for a piano lesson (Value: $125).
To Enter: Tickets are $10 each. Please send your entry fee via Zelle to (510) 710-0995 with the note “Valentine’s Raffle.”

The winner will be announced on the last day of February! It is a wonderful way to share your passion for piano with someone special.

4. Call for Volunteers: High School Practice Tutors

We are currently looking for motivated high school students who would like to give back to our musical community by volunteering as practice tutors for 30 minutes per week. This is a rewarding opportunity to develop leadership skills while supporting our younger pianists as they build consistent and effective practice habits. These sessions will ideally take place on Saturdays. If you are a high schooler interested in mentoring the next generation of musicians, please reply to this email with your interest and your Saturday availability.

5. Makeup Policy: The 48-Hour Notice

As much as we would love to say yes you can get a makeup for last minute cancellations, here are the challenges that make it impossible for us to do so and we would like to explain our makeup system and policy here once again.

Our policy is 48 hour notice in advance to receive a makeup lesson. That is because we need to announce the cancellation to the other students early enough so someone can use your time slot. In that way, we can let you use someone else’s time. And then we will have enough available makeup time slots to circulate. As a side note, whether or not you show up for the lesson, we pay the teacher for the lesson. That is to make sure your teacher’s time are respected.

So, in short, when you can’t make it to the lesson, please give a notice BY EMAIL as soon as possible and no later that 48 hours before your lesson. And we hope it makes sense why we are not able to give makeup for last minute cancelations.

6. School News

A Fond Farewell to Amy

We have some bittersweet news to share as we say goodbye to our wonderful receptionist, Amy. Over her time with us, Amy has been a pillar of our front office, bringing a rare combination of grace, organization, and kindness to every family that walked through our doors. Her contributions have been significant, helping our school run smoothly while always making sure our students felt welcomed and supported. We are deeply grateful for the dedication she showed the Golden Key Piano School community, and while we will miss her presence dearly, we wish her nothing but the very best in her next chapter.

Welcoming Amelia to the Golden Key Piano School

We are also delighted to introduce Amelia, who is joining us as our new receptionist! She is a student at UC Berkeley and we are looking forward to having her with us for the next couple of years. We are so happy to have her at the helm of our front desk, where she is already looking forward to getting to know all of our students and families.

From Amelia: Hello! My name is Amelia Quintana and I am delighted to be the new Office Assistant for Golden Key Piano School. I am currently a second year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley double-majoring in Psychology and Sociology, hoping to specifically focus on Child Development and Developmental Psychology. I have a strong love for the arts as I’ve grown up doing classical ballet and other styles of dance as well. I have also dedicated my time to the theater program at my high school as I directed our Fall plays and Spring musicals for 3 years. Aside from my education and love for the arts I enjoy writing, reading, spending time with animals, and going to different cafe’s to try new coffee drinks!