Vivace Piano Studio
Innovate. Inspire. Empower
Meet Our Team
Emily Zheng
Dr. Zheng maintains an active career as both a teacher and a pianist. With over 20 years of teaching experience, she is a dedicated music educator passionate about helping students reach their full potential. Dr. Zheng is committed to creating a supportive, engaging, and inspiring learning environment for every student.
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In her piano teaching, Dr. Zheng tailors her approach to each student’s individual needs and learning style. She believes that learning the piano should be an enjoyable and creative journey—one that nurtures self-listening, imagination, and effective practice habits from the very beginning. Viewing music as a special language that evokes emotion and imagination, she encourages students to express their unique artistic voices through performance.
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Dr. Zheng also emphasizes the development of well-rounded musicians by introducing music theory early and integrating technical training to establish a solid foundation. She has extensive experience teaching students of all ages and levels. Her students have received awards in numerous local competitions, including the PNW Piano Competition, the Russian Chamber Music Competition, PAPF, and SIPF Bach/Classical/Romantic Festivals, among others. Several of her students have also been prizewinners in international competitions, with some performing at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, many of her students have earned distinctions in ABRSM and RCM piano examinations and built strong portfolios for college applications under her guidance.
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Dr. Zheng earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Washington and a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, where she was awarded a full scholarship and served as a teaching assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education (Piano) from China. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in a research project titled “How Music Affects Early Childhood Development” and taught in local schools. Over the years, she has performed in cities across China, as well as in Chicago, Toledo, and Seattle, and has participated in various music festivals. Her principal teachers include Robin McCabe, Robert Satterlee, Logan Skelton, and Haewon Song.
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Outside of teaching, Dr. Zheng enjoys spending time with her family, exploring different coffee spots, hiking, and traveling.
Benjamin Markin
Ben Markin is a life-long musician, and classically trained pianist/composer. He earned his degree with a focus in composition from Cornish College of the Arts, where he studied under Jarrad Powell and Dr. Peter Mack. In addition, he has earned both local and national awards in music composition through the organizations Joyful Noise and The Choral Project.
He has extensive experience writing, teaching, and performing classical and jazz styles, and specializes in piano and choral composition. He believes in developing a versatile and multi-faceted performer, integrating music theory, analysis, and refining a deeply expressive skill set. His goal is to aid young artists in developing self-sufficiency and a comprehensive understanding of the language that is music. In this, he hopes to inspire an ever-present commitment to and a life-long relationship with music.
Ben believes in helping students discover what speaks to them, writing custom arrangements of their favorite pieces suited to their skill level. These are used to further technical proficiency and apply learned concepts to songs that students are genuinely interested in. His experience in teaching extends to all ages. He believes that we are all artists and that we are all capable of finding both an expressive voice and a sense of self through music.​​
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