Pianist Benjamin Steinhardt enjoys an international reputation for his innovative teaching and can be regularly heard performing in the New York metro area. Placing an emphasis on creativity and exploration, his teaching incorporates concepts from the Taubman Approach, Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, Dalcroze, and somatic education (Iyengar Yoga, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique) to give students the tools to reach their highest potential.
He regularly adjudicates young musician festivals and competitions and has presented and given masterclasses across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Highlights include four presentations at Music Teacher’s National Association Conventions, The National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy, The Taubman Piano Festival at Montclair University, the Piano Celebration Festival at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and the Gordon Institute of Music Learning New England Conference.
His presentation topics include:
- “Junior Virtuosos: Laying the foundations for a healthy technique in children and teens”
- “Repertoire Rich: Incorporating the 40 Piece Challenge into your private piano studio”
- “Flow and Music: Developing inner hearing through movement.”
- “Help! My Fourth Finger Feels Weak: Understanding finger independence”
- “SMART: Teaching strategies for the overscheduled, underpracticed, and eager to learn”
- “Playing Deliciously: The legacy and teachings of Dorothy Taubman”
- “Charting a Musical Journey: The Work of Dr. Edwin Gordon”
- “Is it Really Possible to Rotate for Every Note at the Piano?: A whole body look at the amazing power of rotation”
His writings, webinars, and videos have been featured in:
- Clavier Companion: The Piano Magazine
- American Music Teacher
- TheCuriousPianoTeachers.org
- The Piano League
- iPianoTeacher.com
- Piano Parent Podcast
- MTNA Webinar
- All Keyed Up with Ben Kapilow
An artist of great versatility, Steinhardt is equally at home as pianist in the concert hall, performance artist in theater, and a conductor in the orchestra pit. Recital and chamber performances as a pianist include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Greenwich Music House. Work as a musical director includes Queens Theater in the Park, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the New York Musical Theater Festival, Bravo television and cabaret spaces throughout NYC including The Metropolitan Room, Studio 54, and Birdland. Mr. Steinhardt served as musical director for the Emmy award winning, “News in Revue.”
Mr. Steinhardt completed his formal studies as a classical pianist at the Manhattan School of Music, The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Mannes School of Music. Influential teachers have included Janice Weber, Sara Crawford, and Donn-Alexander Feder. He has worked with Dr. Teresa Dybvig, a leading figure in the field of Musician’s Wellness and the Taubman Approach since 2007.
Steinhardt serves as Treasurer of the Connecticut State Music Teacher’s Association, recital chair of the Fairfield County Music Teachers Association, and co-administers “The Art of Piano Pedagogy,” Facebook’s largest community for professional piano teachers with over 24,000 members.