Introduction to Piano

My name is Niki Khabbazvahed, and I am a music performer and educator. I recently graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where I earned my Master of Music degree in Cello Performance. I also hold an Artist Diploma degree from Oberlin Conservatory (2021) and a Bachelor of music degree from Lynn University Conservatory of Music (2019). Teaching and performing music is what I love to do the most in my life! I have taught cello, piano, ear training, music theory, and structure of music throughout the years but I exclusively teach cello and piano here on Outschool!

I am originally from Iran, and I started learning the cello at the age of seven. I completed my middle school and high school education at the Music School of Tehran and graduated with my high school diploma in June 2014. I participated and was the first-prize winner in a number of national competitions during my residency in Iran, including the 2014 Iran National Youth Cello Competition, the 2013 Tehran Fajr Music Festival Cello Competition, and the 2014 Music School of Tehran String competition. I then came to the US (in August 2015) to continue my music education. 

As a chamber musician, I have performed in many venues in Iran and the US. My Crescent Piano Trio at Indiana University participated at the Ascent Chamber Music Festival in Cincinatti as the winner of their fellowship chamber program in summer 2023. My Fantasia Piano Trio at Lynn Conservatory won the annual chamber music competition of the school, partnering with the Lyric Chamber Music Society of NY, and performed at the Kosciuszko foundation of the arts in NYC on May 2nd, 2018. My orchestra experience includes participating in summer orchestra festivals such as Aspen Music Festival And School (2022-2021-2018), in which I was a full scholarship recipient for all three years, Brevard Music Center (2017), Hotsprings music festival (2017), and University of New Mexico Summer Music Institute (2017). I was a member of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra from 2012-2015 and have also performed with South Florida Symphony (2018-2020). As an instructor, I have taught students of all ages and levels for about nine years. I was the assistant of my cello teacher at the Music School of Tehran and I would teach the students when he was away performing in other cities, and during the summer when school was not in session. In the US, I have taught at the Oberlin Conservatory secondary lessons, Lynn Conservatory preparatory department, Plumosa school of the arts in Delray Beach, Florida, Nat King Cole SummerStrings Music Camp in Palm Beach Country, and P.A.L.S program at Aspen Music Festival And School. Although cello is my main instrument and I have received my degrees in it but I have also learned piano as my second instrument and have taught it privately over the past couple of years.

I believe teaching is one of the most important jobs and teachers can have a direct impact on their students’ lives. I have always highly respected and valued kind and inspiring teachers and have strived to be one myself over the years! Regardless of how the students play in the lessons, we as teachers should always have something inspiring to say, something positive, something encouraging that would make them keep working and improving. I also believe that all students are different and it is my job as a teacher to use different techniques and strategies to best suit each student’s needs. I believe that one method and way of teaching cannot possibly be effective for all students and I need to be sensitive to each student’s strengths and weaknesses and try to guide them accordingly in their journey of learning music. I believe it is the teacher’s responsibility to create a warm, welcoming, and supportive learning environment for the students so that they can comfortably make mistakes, ask questions, learn, and grow! I have always tried to help my students realize that they can trust me, I am supportive of them, and I care about not only their growth as musicians and instrumentalists but also the fact that they enjoy the learning process and enthusiastically look forward to their weekly lessons!

Besides practicing, teaching, and performing music, I love cooking, watching great TV shows and movies, reading, and talking to my friends and family at home.