Award-Winning Music Producer Tessa Ying Helps Shape Future Pianists

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For over 20 years, Boston-based master pianist and producer Tessa Ying has dedicated her life to music, not only as an artist herself, but as a teacher; and last year, that dedication paid off in a big way.

At the tail end of 2024, Ying’s student, Alan Huang, participated in the Global Genius Music Competition, as well as the Charleston International Competition, earning a powerful reception and prominent placements in both competitions. With Huang taking home the Gold Prize, as well as the Technical Mastery Special Prize from the Global Genius Music Competition, and Third Prize from the Charleston International Competition, it is clear that both his and Ying’s hard work paid off.

“Alan Huang is a pianist who never lets up. His determined attitude plays a big part in his success,” says Ying. “To prepare for the Global Genius Music Competition, we focused on speed and accuracy to gain a technical mastery of the piano in order to pull off a high-level performance of the masterpiece, O Polichinelo by Villa Lobos.… This piece demanded a high level of speed and accuracy, coupled with careful precision in its execution.”

Beyond taking pride in her student’s dedication and success, Ying’s talent and effort were also praised, with the Global Genius Music Competition awarding her the Outstanding Teacher Award and adding her to the Exceptional Teachers list by WOMCO, and the Charleston International Competition awarding her the Third Prize Teacher Award.

“Tessa makes sure that we all understand the pieces rather than just teaching us the notes and rhythms. I like the way she teaches us how to emotionally express a piece through our performances. She helps me understand music on a deeper level,” explains Alan Huang.

“Without her there’s no way I’d get those awards. I feel like Tessa is a kind of teacher who knows you more than you do. She would make sure it’s a song that can showcase what you’re good at, but also a song you’ll fall in love with. Having this helps me win those awards.”

Ying began working with Alan Huang in 2020 after he moved from Brooklyn and began lessons with her at an early intermediate level. Over the past five years, she has guided him through a rigorous progression of technical training and musical theory, helping him achieve a Merit Award in the ABRSM’s highest-level Performance Exam and a Distinction in theory. Their work culminated in his competition performances of ‘O Polichinelo,’ a technically demanding piece known for its polytonality and mischievous energy, which he executed with brilliance and authenticity.

Ying’s disciplined yet imaginative approach emphasized not only scales and arpeggios as a foundation for storytelling but also deep interpretation, helping Huang evolve into a confident and expressive performer. While the recognition she received as his teacher was deeply meaningful, the most powerful reward came in witnessing her student rise to the occasion.

“I felt overjoyed and extremely proud of my student. Months of hard work and years of piano lessons led to that moment. The other competitors were amazing too, I felt honored and gained humility as I watched them as I understood just how much work it took to get to that point,” explains Ying. “I am grateful for this opportunity to experience this and so appreciative of the outcome. Most of all, I was reminded that music, like everything else in life, is an opportunity to practice lifelong growth and learning.”

For Ying, who began playing piano at the age of four and achieved great success as a young prodigy, 2024 proved to be a powerful year of recognition for her role as a teacher. In addition to receiving the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Global Genius Music Competition and the Third Prize Teacher Award from the Charleston International Competition, she was also named as a Steinway Educational Partner and organized two student recitals featuring a 9-foot Steinway Concert Grand Piano, giving young musicians the chance to perform on one of the world’s most prestigious instruments.

“This was a chance to play on a top-notch, high-quality, concert industry-standard piano. All I can say is that this piano, if for sale, would be worth over a quarter of a million dollars. It gave them the experience of playing on a Steinway Piano, a privileged glimpse into the life of famous pianists, such as Lang Lang or Yuja Wang,” says Ying. “We celebrated the accomplishments they made over the year, and a chance to shine in front of an audience. It truly is a heartwarming experience to see all the students and their parents being so proud of them.”

That perspective didn’t emerge overnight. Long before she became an award-winning teacher, Ying was building the foundations of a multifaceted music career shaped by both discipline and a relentless curiosity for what music could be.

Raised in Singapore, she began formal piano training at the age of four and was performing publicly by the time she was a teenager, including at the country’s premier performing arts venue, The Esplanade. By 14, she had already reached college-level proficiency, earning both the DipLCM and ATCL performance diplomas from London College of Music and Trinity College London.

Her formal education continued at Lasalle College of the Arts and later at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she received a degree in Music Production and Engineering, graduating magna cum laude and receiving the MP&E Creativity Scholar Award. Along the way, she developed a distinctive skill set that spans performance, composition, engineering, and production, all of which continue to inform her teaching and creative work today.

For Ying, who spent years performing at a high level, the transition into teaching wasn’t about stepping away from the stage, but about passing on everything she had learned to the next generation of musicians, with the same intensity and care that she brings to her own craft.

“First of all, a positive and supportive environment is key,” remarks Ying about preparing her students for high level competition. “Picking the right repertoire pieces that showcase the pianist’s talent, utilize their strengths, and hold their interest helps sustain the motivation required to complete the process of a competition and to stay emotionally engaged with the repertoire.”

What sets Ying apart as a teacher is the way she blends structure with imagination, and discipline with empathy. She places great importance on developing a positive studio environment, where students feel supported and inspired. Her methods go beyond repetition and drills; she encourages critical listening, often asking students to compare interpretations by master pianists and reflect on what they can learn. By nurturing both technical precision and emotional connection, Ying helps her students not only play the notes, but understand the story behind them.

“The number one priority is to be a pillar of support. In one-on-one situations, teachers are not only an instructor, but a mentor and friend. Thinking in terms of being in a team works well… Many promising students with the goal to compete at an elite level already possess qualities that make them a good pianist, but they may not yet possess the maturity to make it happen,” explains Ying.

“My role in this includes actively listening to the needs and requests of the student and making sure we maintain a two-way conversation. The main purpose is for the student to feel that their feelings and opinions are being heard, considered and respected.”

Another key part of Ying’s approach involves integrating duets and backing tracks into her students’ practice. She regularly plays duets with them, helping bring to life the pieces they’ve been working on solo throughout the week.

“I frequently witness my students become so inspired once they play and hear the duet with me,” she says. “They would ask me to play it with them again, and again, and again.”

She also encourages students to use backing tracks, which offer a different kind of challenge; unlike the natural give-and-take of live playing, a track keeps strict time and demands rhythmic precision. But that structure has its benefits.

She explains, “Most of my students who use method books and follow the backing track at home have dramatically improved rhythm, tempo and attention to detail.”

Equally important to Ying’s teaching is encouraging improvisation as a pathway to creativity and self-expression. She views even the earliest forms of “tinkering,” which some might dismiss as random noise, as a foundational step toward musical fluency.

“The freedom of playing any note, rather than having a sheet of music to follow explicitly, is liberating,” says Ying. “It is akin to the stages of a toddler learning to talk… unless your toddler is Stewie Griffin, they will not wake up one day having learned to speak in fully-formed, eloquent sentences overnight.”

During these moments of free play, Ying often joins in to harmonize with chords, helping students hear their own ideas transformed into something beautiful.

For students aiming to truly excel, Ying believes the foundation lies in mindset. That means developing a keen ability to evaluate one’s own playing, a clear sense of what sounds beautiful, both personally and to an audience, and the persistence to bridge the gap. Exposure to a wide range of music, she says, builds a vital internal reference that guides artistic growth. But beyond skill and analysis, emotional resilience is just as essential.

“Determination is key to success… they will not succeed on the first try,” she adds. “Patience, kindness to oneself, and a nurturing support system make all the difference in helping a pianist grow with confidence.”

Looking ahead, Ying has a full year planned for her studio in Brookline, MA. A Spring recital is already on the calendar, along with student entries for upcoming ABRSM exams and piano competitions like the Charleston International and Global Genius. She also hopes to expand her work with Arts for Learning MA to bring music education into more schools across the Greater Boston Area. On a more personal note, she’s preparing to release a collection of original piano compositions by year’s end.

“A lot has changed in my life over the past few years, I feel wiser, and in general much calmer and happier,” she shares. “I’d like to reflect that growth in my music, and I hope listeners will jive with this stage of life I am in.”

Written by Portia Leigh

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