Piano Studio 33
Hello and welcome to our music studio based in St. Heliers, Auckland! We offer private piano lessons for levels of ages.
If you are a young beginner starting from scratch, we can begin by finding the smallest sense of achievement, gradually building your knowledge and interest step by step.
If you are a busy adult, we can work together to discover a learning approach that suits your lifestyle, slowly unlocking the pieces you’ve always wanted to play—whether popular or classical.
If you already have years of playing experience and wish to progress further, or are preparing for exams, competitions, or concerts, we can explore your repertoire in depth, focusing on the techniques and musicality you need to refine your performance to the highest standard.
No matter what stage or what age you are at, Lets find, together, the most genuine satisfaction that music gives—bringing music into life, and letting life breathe into creation. As Wagner said to Liszt, “Out of what can the artist create if he does not create out of life?”
Michael Soong - Studio Director
Michael is an passionate pianist with a real pursue for narrative and expression. From a young age, his musical interest was nurtured under the long-standing mentorship of pianist Flavio Villani. He obtained Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland under the tutelage of pianist Rae de Lisle, where he graduated with first-class honours and was recognised with multiple Top of the Course Awards in historical performance, classical theory, and music pedagogy.
Michael was a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2021 Lewis Eady National Piano Competition and has performed at numerous music festivals across the globe, such as the 2017 Australian International Music Festival, the 2022 Lewis Eady International Music Festival in New Zealand, and the 2025 Music at Chateau d’Aix in France. Over the years, he has presented recitals in New Zealand and Australia and has appeared in a wide range of collaborative concert settings.
More recently, he completed his Master of Music Studies in Performance at the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the guidance of pianist Paul Rickard-Ford, where he delved into the art of classical performance and improvisation and was awarded the intensely competitive Conservatorium Henderson Travellers Scholarship. Now based in Auckland, Michael is the director of Piano Studio 33 and is an active performing concert pianist.
My Teaching Philosophy
Over the past seven years, I have had the privilege of guiding students at La Accademia in Auckland and the Master Piano Institute in Sydney, working with learners of all ages, levels, and backgrounds.
I believe that the best tools for teaching are metaphors, analogies, and imagination, that is in its essence, learning through connections to past experiences, which helps the most abstract and sophisticated ideas to take shape in the mind and be realised naturally through the body.
I pay close attention to the physical mechanism of playing and always tries to address this in my teaching at the earliest stage, as it is crucial for the avoidance of injury and is the foundation that opens up to endless possibilities of colour and shaping.
There is no single “correct” way to make music, and I always value and allow creativity to flourish in my studio. When a piece of music is composed on paper, it is only half complete. It is completed only when it is played and performed, and would live as a whole only in that moment. This process is never fixed, thereby lies the beauty of music making.
I believe that listening to my students is just as important as guiding them. Every student brings a unique set of strengths, weaknesses, and needs, and I take care to tailor my teaching and plan each student’s progress according to their own journey.
Last but not least, no matter how much we delve into the details to polish every aspect of our playing, I try to never forget to find with my students the genuine joy and fun of music making. I strive to make every lesson a positive and encouraging space. My hope is that every student who walks into my studio not only grows as a musician, but also discovers a personal, lasting connection with music.
