Ellen Figueira - MDP/Royal Conservatory of Music, Federation 
Studio Days M,T,W,TH,F,Sat
(414) 801-7571       efig53188@wi.rr.com
 Rate $25.00 per ½ hr.
414-801-7571  efig53188@gmail.com

Ellen Figueira has played piano since she was three years old, at which time she first observed her older sister playing a mysterious instrument with black and white keys, and was determined to try this out for herself  Ms. Figueira is pleased to assert, years later, that the piano is still a wondrous instrument.

She began private lessons at age 6, continued formal lessons throughout high school and resumed them as a young adult.  The formal lessons before entering college were with Roy Bogas (who was a place-winner in the 1962 Tchaikovsky Competition student of Rosa Lhevinne). During and after a technical career with General Electric Company and at NASA Ames Research Center in California, she resumed formal lessons throughout adulthood. Most Recently, she has been coached by Ellen Swan Dixon (Waukesha County Conservatory of Music, Hartland, WI), Carl Mussmann (Waukesha County Conservatory of Music). Ellen Winters (Waukesha County Conservatory of Music), and Elena Abend (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee); currently she pursues two Associate Diploma programs (Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy) through the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program (RCMDP).

She has also accompanied many students in recitals, scholarship competitions, and recordings, and accompanied college students for semiannual jury performances.  Her playing is featured on Lake Country Music Club CDs.

In addition to her studio and various performance engagements of her own, she is a strong believer in continuing education for herself.  She is a member of the Wisconsin affiliate of the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Lake Country Music Club, and other local music organizations.  She has obtained the National Gold Medal for Elementary Piano Pedagogy, sponsored by the Royal Conservatory Music Development (MDP)

She has also attended master classed and workshops presented by the Golandsky Institute, Robert Durso, J. Jane Tan, Kevin Olson, Robert Vandall, Jusit Jaimes, Catherine Rollin, Ed Lancaster, Melody Bobber, and Wynn-Anne Rossi.

In her studio, she has available a vintage Steinway piano and a Kawai ES100 (with MIDI interface) for student use. She enrolls her students in evaluation events once or twice each year, and in competitions whenever a student demonstrates sufficient proficiency and desire.

Ms. Figueira likes to think of her studio as a friendly place where there is laughter and sheer enjoyment of music production, but above and beyond that she would stress three things in her studio:  to train her students to play competently and attractively, to help them appreciate their progress and to help them set goals for their playing, and to share their musical gifts with others (typically through performance). 

She strongly encourages her students to perform in studio recitals, at Hartland Music Center, the Delafield Arts Center,  and at retirement homes, for talent showcases and competitions (such as local “Got Talent” events, the Greater Milwaukee Baroque Music Festival, and Pop Piano Festival), and for charitable events.  Also, students are strongly encouraged to participate in evaluation festivals, such as those offered by Royal Conservatory Music Development Program (MDP), the Wisconsin Federation of Music Clubs (WFMC), the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA), the Greater Milwaukee Baroque Music Festival (GMBMF), the Lake Country Music Festival, Waukesha County 4-H, and other organizations.

Over the past few years, Ms. Figueira has developed her own schedule of solo and ensemble performance at various venues throughout Waukesha and Milwaukee County, among them holiday showcases for organizations such as Kiwanis, the Wisconsin Philharmonic, and the American Cancer Society; she also appears at the Oconomowoc Festival of Arts, the St. John’s on the Lake and Eastcastle Place (both in Milwaukee) concert series, and she brings regularly-scheduled student recitals to a growing number of local retirement homes and art galleries in Waukesha County. 

To Ms. Figueira, every day brings something new to learn in music, and she prides herself on being inspired by her students to present musical concepts in creative ways. 

Whatever your age and ability, Ms. Figueira welcomes you to her studio!