88Keys Music and Discovery Centre

Studio Director 

Ms. Maryam : Piano Teacher

Ms. Maryam has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal and has 10 years of teaching experience in piano. She also has a Piano Teacher Certificate from RCM and prepares students for RCM exams. Having training in both Yamaha Music and RCM method let her be more creative in the lessons. Her goal is to bring love and passion toward music to the everyday lives of her students. Her teaching style is so engaging, and she uses different tools to internalize musical elements for kids. She designs long-term and short-term plans for her students according to their needs and capabilities. She is a very understanding teacher who has a specific way of teaching for different students with different characteristics.

School Administrator

Piano Teacher

With over 9 years of teaching and counseling experience, Ms. Monica provides an enjoyable music experience for her students. As the third generation in her family in the teaching profession, she was determined to become a teacher at the age of six. After the completion of her ARCT in piano performance, Monica has begun her study in piano pedagogy. Ms. Monica has acquired Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours; specialization in Classical Piano at York University

 Ms. Monica has a passion for sharing her music, not only with performances but also through teaching and engaging her students. She utilizes a repertoire of all types of music literature, including traditional and contemporary that are appropriate for all ages and skill levels of students to provide creative and professional music lessons. In her music teaching, Ms. Monica has taught individual piano and theory lessons, group piano lessons, and musical summer camps. Having in-depth knowledge of various teaching philosophies, Ms. Monica`s teaching style is engaging, supportive and motivating.

Ms. Rachel: Piano and Violin Teacher

Ms. Rachel is a pianist, a violinist, and an experienced music educator. She holds a Bachelor of Music honors in Music Education and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. Her training in the Orff Method, Suzuki Violin, and RCM Piano also allow her to inspire young musicians with versatility and creativity.

Coming from Winnipeg, Ms. Rachel was an elementary school music teacher for over 7 years, teaching music to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8. She was also an instructor at the Canadian Mennonite University conservatory. Her students participated in youth orchestras, music festivals, RCM exams, and performances with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to being a music teacher, Ms. Rachel enjoys playing the violin in the Mennonite Community Orchestra as well as the World Civic Orchestra. Ms. Rachel is delighted to be joining 88Keys and bringing a love of music to the community.

Ms. Chanel: Piano Teacher

Chanel is a classical pianist, music educator, and conductor. She has a Bachelor of Music, specializing in Music Education from the University of Toronto, and is pursuing a Master of Teaching at OISE. Chanel has an ARCT in piano performance and an RCM Gold Medal in the Alto Saxophone. She has performed as a soloist, keyboard conductor, and collaborative pianist at various venues in the GTA. She is the recipient of the University of Toronto Leadership Award and Ontario Music Educator’s Association Legacy Award for her contributions to the Music Education community. Chanel strives to create an inclusive, encouraging positive environment to inspire students to love and appreciate music! 

Ms. Taraneh - Piano Teacher

Ms. Taraneh started playing piano at the age of 4 and she has more than 15 years of classical piano training.  Ms.Taraneh is in her last year of Music program at York University and getting her Bachelor of Music. She also has 4 years of experience singing as a Soprano singer in the York University’s Concert Choir.

Ms. Taraneh has been teaching piano and music theory to kids and adults for the past few years and since 2020 she started teaching online lessons as well. She believes every student has a unique learning style; to respond to each student’s need, she always tries to design a fun yet informative lesson for each individual.

Ms. Taraneh has experience teaching various piano methods and chooses her methods of teaching with the input of her students based on their musical goals. She assigns her students with appropriate repertoire, technical practices and music theory through practical application.

Ms. Faranak - Violin teacher

Ms. Faranak has been playing violin since the age of 12 and has since dedicated herself to it as a professional practice. She is now entering her last year of studies at York University where she is studying Violin Performance and Education and plans on pursuing her Masters and Ph.D of Violin Performance and Education. Ms. Faranak has been playing in the York University Symphony Orchestra for 3 years, as well as the Summerhill Orchestra since 2018, and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra since 2019. 

In addition to her studies and orchestra playing, she is always looking to grow as both a teacher and performer. To this end she has studied with Roksana Reyhanian of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and now Mark Skazinetsky, Associate Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. As her teachers have done for her, Faranak is most happy to have sparked many student’s love and dedication for music with daily practice. She offers violin lessons through RCM and Suzuki method curriculums, and speaks both English and Farsi fluently.

Piano and Voice Teacher

Ms. Alondra is a composer, performer, and teacher residing in the city of Toronto, Canada. Her pieces have been performed across Canada, the United States and reaching as far as Milna, Croatia.

She graduated from her MMus in Composition from the University of Western Ontario in June 2015, and since then has been actively striving to promote new music. She has been teaching Yamaha Program since 2013. In 2016 she organized and performed a Call for Scores concert called Glimpses that included eleven pieces by upcoming Canadian composers. In 2017 her New Music Drama In Wonderland showcased and premiered pieces by composers from around the world. Ms. Alondra has very energetic, loving and caring personality, and enjoys teaching in group settings.

Piano and Flute Teacher

Mr. Dmitry, composer, arranger, piano, flute and saxophone player and teacher, holds 2 Masters of Music in Composition and Flute from The Sibelius Academy (Finland) and Tashkent State Conservatory (Uzbekistan). Dmitriy has participated in numerous competitions, festivals and master-courses in Asia, Europe and North America, and has extensive experience as a performer and composer. His music is published and performing in over 15 countries. Known as Mr.D to his students, Dmitriy is Senior Department Director and JOC Program Coordinator at 88Keys, and has taught many accomplished students throughout his 11 years teaching Yamaha music programs.

Kindermusik Educator

Ms. Nora takes great pride in her teaching career. As a Kindermusik educator, she has over 10 years’ experience in teaching music and movement to young students ranging in age from babies to preschoolers. Through her teaching methods, Ms. Nora strives to capture and nurture a child’s desire for language, the body’s urge to move, the brain’s attention to pattern and the voice’s response to sounds. She takes the same approach when it comes to teaching piano, voice and theory. In the over 15 years of private instruction to students ranging in age from 4 to adulthood, Ms. Nora’s main focus has been to offer a well-rounded musical start, which will lead to a lifelong love and appreciation for music. Her students have successfully completed Royal Conservatory Examinations, receiving First Class Honours with Distinction.

Nora Satmarean is a voice graduate from the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Performance Diploma Program. She has previously studied at renowned music schools in Romania, and she graduated with a voice and piano certification. A recipient of two voice scholarships from the Contemporary Showcase in Toronto, third prize winner at the National Music Competition and guest performer on the national “Young Talents” broadcast in Romania, Nora has extensive performance experience. She has sung in numerous operas and operettas, as well as on the recital stage, presenting a variety of composers and styles.

Piano Teacher

Ms. Olga holds a double degree: Bachelor of Music from Belorussian State Pedagogical University and Bachelor of Education from Department of Modern Foreign Languages from Belorussian Institute of Entrepreneurship. Ms. Olga is an Ontario Certified Teacher and Registered RCM piano/theory teacher. Her main field of study is classical piano performance and she has more than 18 years of piano experience. With a specialization in early adolescents education, Ms. Olga has experience teaching students of various ages. Even though her main area of expertise is piano, she also teaches accordion and voice. Being result oriented, Ms. Olga is quite successful in creating an atmosphere where great results are balanced with welcoming teaching style.

Piano Teacher

Mr. Sergey started his musical education at the Music Academy of Reinhold Gliere in Ukraine, graduating with Honours in Jazz composition and performing. With over 20 years of experience in teaching, musical writing and performing,  Mr. Sergey is able to tailor his lessons towards each students needs and produce amazing results. His main focus is to incorporate elements of general musicianship, such as ear training and theory, as well as instrument technique and interpretation.