September 7, 2007

The Polonsky Piano School educates Evergreen students in classical music

Since its inception in 1996 in San Jose, Saratoga, and Santa Clara, the Polonsky Piano School has offered a performance-oriented program for students who wish to learn piano, voice, violin, and to share their musical experiences with others.

This unique “Russian School of Music” employs teachers from all over the world; however, the majority of instructors are from Russia. According to the school’s founder, Russian-born Dr. Viktor Polonsky, “All of our teachers blend their international experiences with the unique teaching method of our school to produce high quality results.”

In short, the teaching philosophy of the school combines the best of Russian, performance-oriented music teaching techniques, and the Japanese Suzuki teaching method, enhanced by the high education and rich experiences of PPS teachers.

However, many families, after constantly traveling from the Evergreen area to PPS locations in west San Jose, Saratoga, and Santa Clara, requested a location in Evergreen. Following those requests and the desire to accommodate the large demand for music education in Evergreen, Polonsky and his wife, Anna, decided to open a new school location right in the heart of Evergreen, at Evergreen Village Square. This new site serves approximately 230 students. In 2006, the school’s other three locations were transferred to another owner, and the best teachers of PPS, along with Polonsky, concentrated all their efforts on building a strong and professional school here, in Evergreen.

Polonsky and his wife have many years of experience as performers and teachers. They have worked as Professors of Piano with the Russian Conservatories prior to immigrating to the United States in 1990, and were also employed at Miami and Dayton Universities. They have performed in concerts all over the globe and believe music is an international language that children should be exposed to early in life.

“Music is a means of communication,” said Viktor Polonsky. “We place a lot of emphasis on content, the emotional side of music, as well as technical development. We teach our kids that music is an interpretation of how we see life through art, a beautiful gift that must be shared. We believe that kids who learn music become better humans overall.”

Every year, the Polonsky Piano School’s students win several Bay Area piano competitions, International Russian Competition, and USA Open Competition.

Children as young as 3-years-old may enroll in the general music preparation group classes. In addition to piano, the school also offers separate voice and violin classes for kids of all ages, starting from age 4, as well as piano group class for youth and adults who wish to get a more general knowledge of instruments. Theory classes are also offered.

The Polonskys strongly believe that performance activities are critical to a young musician’s success. Each student performs three to four times a year in school and in outside recitals as a rule, and audition regularly for the National Piano Guild judges and numerous competitions.

“It is very rewarding for kids to perform in front of the public and get that sense of success and achievement, to receive applauses from an audience and presents from teachers. This usually brings their interest in piano and violin to a new level, and boosts their practicing,” said Viktor Polonsky.

Every year, the school’s students win several Bay Area piano competitions, International Russian Competition, and USA Open Competition.

This past year, the school added an Intensive Piano/Outdoor Activities Boarding Camp, located among the scenic redwoods near the coast. During the camp’s 10 days, participants receive daily musical instruction, individual and ensemble practice sessions, theory and ear training, as well as a variety of outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, beachcombing, biking, mountain lakes swimming, and a nightly campfire. The highlight is a recital for the local community and parents at the end of the camp.

For more information on classes and to learn more about PPS visit the web site www.polonskypianoschool.com, or call the school at (408) 828-7641 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.