It has been the inspiration of piano legends like Horowitz, Cortot, Rachmaninoff and Rubinstein which has guided me in my piano teaching. It is that poetry, spontaneous creativity, risk-taking, constant quest for the worlds within and beyond us, and combination of pianistic flair and discipline which have always sparked my imagination as a pianist, composer and piano teacher.

These great pianists arose from the tradition of the great composers, who captured the entire essence of their time and place and coupled it with their own individualistic musical language. Those have been our teachers. They established the principles, and we are here to revitalize them.

Yet our own era carries a very different flavor and energy than any other before us. Therefore it is in our hands to crystallize this time with new interpretations of the great sources and revive the poetry of classical music.

-Ronn Yedidia

Students' Awards and Major Events:

Hyung-Do Kim:
1st Prize Winner at the 2005 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Top Award Winner at the 2005 Steinway Society Scholarship Competition of New Jersey
Debut Recital at Merkin Concert Hall, NY, on December, 17, 2006 - at age 10 - included J.S. Bach's complete Goldberg Variations and 6 Chopin Etudes, as well as music by Haydn, Schubert, Gluck-Sgambati and Rachmaninoff. The Korean Daily newspaper reviewed the recital citing that " 'Dream Tree' ten-year-old Hyung-Do Kim demonstrated the infinite possibilities of a great performer at his New York debut at Merkin Concert Hall. He played the forty-minute Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach with impressive confidence - like a massive, great pianist. He entertained and delighted the audience with lovely selections in the second half and received a standing ovation which brought him back for several more encores."
Special Award Winner at the 2007 Friday Woodmere Club Young Artist Competition in Long Island, New York
1st Prize Winner at the 2007 Connecticut International Young Artist Competition
WQXR Radio Broadcast Debut on Bob Sherman's young talent show, June 27, 2007; Rachmaninoff, Haydn & Chopin (from Merkin Hall's debut)

Kyu Sunwoo:
1st Prize Winner at the 2006 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Recipient of the Pauline Styler Memorial Scholarship Award for best performance at the advanced categories of the 2006 PTC Competition
Top Award Winner at the 2006 International Concert Alliance (ICA) Competition in New York
1st Prize Winner at the 2006 International Musica Classica Festival Competition, Puigcerda, Spain
Admitted to the undergraduate program at Mannes College of Music as a student of Vladimir Feltsman (fall, 2007)

Katelyn Tran:
1st Prize Winner at the 2006 International Musica Classica Festival Competition, Puigcerda, Spain
Winner of the Marsha Kanarek Award at the 2007 Friday Woodmere Club Young Artist Competition in Long Island, New York
2nd Prize Winner at the 2007 Connecticut International Young Artist Competition
Silver Medalist at the 2008 Bravura Concerto Competition of New Jersey (Tchaikovsky, No. 1)
2nd Prize Winner at the 2008 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
1st Prize Winner in the Chinese Composition category at the 23rd International Young Artist Piano Competition, Washington DC (2008)

Heather Zhang:
3rd Prize Winner at the 2008 Connecticut International Young Artist Competition

Aaron Huang:
1st Prize Winner at the 2007 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2007 Connecticut International Young Artist Competition
Recipient of the 2008 George V. Rose Musical Scholarship at the Waldorf School of Garden City, NY

Matthew Yuan:
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 2007 Connecticut International Young Artist Competition

Lilly Kim:
Admitted to the undergraduate program at the New England Conservatory as a full scholarship student (fall, 2006)
Winner of the 2006 New England Conservatory Concerto Competition (Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations) - leading to a debut performance with the NEC Orchestra in her Freshman year at the school

Claire Lee:
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2000 Cecilian Music Club Piano Competition
2nd Prize Winner at the 2000 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
3rd Prize Winner at the 2000 New York Music Competition (Queens)
1st Prize Winner at the 2001 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Top Awards at the International Concert Alliance (ICA) Competition in New York for 3 consecutive years (2000-2002)
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 2004 ICA Competition in New York
2001 debut performance at Merkin Hall
Debut Recital at Klavierhaus, NY, June 28, 2002

Talia Cotton:
Honorable Mention Recipient at the ICA Competition in New York, 2003 & 2004
Top Award Winner at both the 2003 & 2004 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition

Samantha Whitmore:
Top Award Winner at the ICA Competition in New York, 2002
Honorable Mention Recipient at the ICA Competition in New York, 2003 & 2004

Joon Lee:
1st Prize Winner of the Bloomingdale House of Music Performance Competition for 4 consecutive years (1994-1997)
1st Prize Winner of the 1996 Bloomingdale House of Music Concerto Competition (Bach's G minor Concerto, BWV 1054)
1st Prize Winner at the 1997 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
Debut Recital at the Bloomingdale House of Music, NY, David Greer Recital Hall, June 25, 1999
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1998 Great Neck Young Musicians Competition
1st Prize Winner of the 1998 Bloomingdale House of Music Concerto Competition (Mozart's D minor Concerto, K. 466)
2nd Prize Winner at the 1999 Young Pianist's Competition of New Jersey
2nd Prize Winner at the 1999 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1999 MTNA Competition (New Jersey)
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2000 ICA Competition in New York
2nd Prize Winner at the 2000 New York Music Competition (Queens)
3rd Prize Winner at the 2000 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
Top Award Winner at the 2001 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Top Award Winner at the 2001 ICA Competition in New York

Ezra Surowicz:
Winner of the 1996 Bloomingdale House of Music Concerto Competition (Bach's D Major Concerto, BWV 1058)
1st Prize Winner at the 1998 Turtle Bay School of Music's Totally Mozart Concerto Competition
Winner of the 1998 Bloomingdale House of Music Concerto Competition (Mozart's A Major Cocnerto, K. 414)
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1998 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1998 Great Neck Young Musicians Competition
3rd Prize Winner at the 1999 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
Debut Recital at The National Arts Club, NY, June 8, 1999
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2000 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
4th Prize Winner at the 2000 New York Music Competition (Queens)
3rd Prize Winner at the 2000 Carnegie Hall International Masterclass and Recital Festival
3rd Prize Winner at the 2000 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 2000 MTNA Competition (New Jersey)
1st Prize Winner of the ICA Competition in New York for 3 consecutive years (2000-2002)
Alice Tully Hall debut representing the U.S. at the U.S.-China Foundation Concert, 2001

Ji In Park:
2nd Prize Winner at the 1997 World Piano Competitions in Cincinnati, USA
Grand Prize Winner at the 2000 Carnegie Hall International Masterclass and Recital Festival
1st Prize Winner at the 2000 Cecilian Music Club Piano Competition
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 2000 MTNA Competition (New Jersey)
3rd Prize Winner at the 2000 New Jersey Music Teachers' Association Competition
Top Award Winner at the 2001 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Special Award Winner at the 2001 New York Philharmonic Young Performers Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2002 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Top Awards at the ICA Competition in New York, 2001 & 2002
1st Prize at the ICA Competition in New York, 2003
2nd Prize at the 2003 International Musica Classica Festival Competition, Puigcerda, Spain
Debut Recital at Klavierhaus, NY, May 31, 2003

Chen-Yuan Lu:
Special Commendation at the 2003 Andrew De Grado Piano Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 2004 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Top Award Winner at the ICA Competition in New York, 2004
2nd Prize Winner at the 2004 International Musica Classica Festival Competition, Puigcerda, Spain
Selected to perform at the opening concert of the 2004 Trail Mix Music Festival, West Shokan, NY
Debut Recital at Klavierhaus, NY, June 19, 2005

Pedro Tsividis:
Winner of the 1998 Bloomingdale House of Music Concerto Competition (Mozart's Eb Major Concerto, K. 449)
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1998 & 1999 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 1998 Turtle Bay School of Music's Totally Mozart Concerto Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 Young Pianist's Competition of New Jersey
1st Prize Winner at the 2000 ICA Competition in New York
1999 debut recording for WGBH Radio and Public Radio International
Debut Recital at the Juilliard School, Morse Hall, June 23, 2000 

Sohyon Lee:
1st Prize Winner of the 1997 Bloomingdale House of Music Performance Competition
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1999 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
2nd Prize Winner at the 1999 Young Pianist's Competition of New Jersey
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition


Chihiro Sato:
Honorable Mention Recipient at the 1998 & 1999 Queens College Cultural Heritage Competition
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 Young Pianist's Competition of New Jersey
1st Prize Winner at the 1999 New York City Piano Teachers Congress Competition
Debut Recital at the Turtle Bay Music School, NY, June 25, 1999