Piano
Robert Colby-Witanek has been playing piano since 1997. As a child, he became immersed in the world of music and became enamored with the process of making music with other people. During his time in school, he played the piano, the viola, the violin, the guitar, the electric bass, and the drums. He received five years of formal training on the violin and six months of formal training on the classical guitar. Robert attended college at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. He earned a Bachelor's degree in piano in 2016 and a Master's in Piano Pedagogy and Performance in 2018. Robert Colby-Witanek is a recipient of the Franklin Cannon Musicianship Award, the Damien Dixon Memorial Scholarship, and the Outstanding Musicianship Award. He performs regularly as the pianist at St. James Memorial Episcopal Church in Eatontown, New Jersey, and he works for the Chin-Yun Chorus as a choral accompanist in Central Jersey. In college, Robert performed at the Young Musicians' Concert in Carnegie Hall, and he has prepared students for ABRSM exams, MAMTG competitions, and performances at the Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. He studied with Ingrid Clarfield, who has influenced his piano teaching philosophy and own personal performance and practice techniques, and Jim Goldsworthy, who provided valuable insights into the interpretation of the music and instilled in him a passion for sharing this knowledge with others, which inspired Robert to start teaching. Robert wants each student to learn to express themselves through music and how to take control over the types of sounds they wish to produce with the instrument. He maintains a friendly and upbeat environment with his students, encouraging all students to learn and grow as they continue to challenge themselves through learning new music.