Studio
Since 1969, when I first began to teach, teaching has always been the most important part of my professional musical life. During my teaching career I have taught privately and for a number of institutions including The Victoria Conservatory of Music, (Victoria, British Columbia), The Hindhead School of Music (Hazelmere, England) and The Mount Royal College (now University) Conservatory, (Calgary, Alberta). I have also taught at a number of summer music schools in Alberta and British Columbia including the East Kootenay Community College Summer Music School (Cranbrook, B.C.), Musicamrose (Camrose, Alta.), Strings and Keys (Bergen, Alta.) and the Victoria Piano Summer Music School (Victoria, B.C.). Many of my former students have continued their musical studies at the University level and are now professional musicians.
Currently, I maintain my own private studio in Calgary in the Signal Hill area. In the 2024- 25 teaching season, I have a class of around 20 students, all of whom I see weekly. My students cover all levels from beginners to the Diploma and Licentiate Diploma levels. Additionally, on a less regular basis, I coach advanced students and pianist/teachers, some from Calgary, some from outside of Calgary, to help them work on and improve their playing and/or teaching skills.
I maintain two important professional affiliations connected with my teaching. I am a member of the Alberta Registered Music Teachers' Association (A.R.M.T.A), and a member of the Alberta Piano Teachers' Association (A.P.T.A.). In 2016 I initiated and organized the Piano Performance Collective, a monthly series of recitals for the piano students of the teachers belonging to the Collective, and the teachers themselves.
My E-mail address: allenreiser@shaw.ca
PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL MEDALISTS
Over the years, it has been my pleasure to teach a number of Royal Conservatory of Music Silver and Gold Medal winners, as well as Provincial Festival winners in both Alberta and British Columbia.
Below is a list of students I have taught since 2010, that have received medals from the Royal Conservatory of Music, for having achieved the highest mark in Alberta, or British Columbia, or Canada, for their grade level in the given year:
PROVINCIAL MEDALISTS
2010 Eugene Lok - Grade 5
Sharla Cockwell - Grade 10 (British Columbia)
Sharla Cockwell - Intermediate Piano Pedagogy (British Columbia)
2011 - - - -
2012 - - - -
2013 Patricia He Gao - Grade 1
Kimberly Song - Grade 1
Benjamin Nysetvold - Grade 2
Matthew Wu - Grade 6
Arielle Manzano - Grade 10
2014 Tessa Nysetvold - Level 3
Sarah Chen - Level 4
2015 Tessa Nysetvold - Level 4
2016 Neil He - Level 1
Alexa Manzano - Level 3
Tessa Nysetvold - Level 5
2017 Jerry Li - Level 8
2018 Alexa Manzano - Level 7
Daniela Garcia - Level 8
2019 Alexa Manzano - Level 8
2020 Carlo Santos - LRCM
2021 Alexa Manzano - Level 9
2022 - - - -
2023 Alexa Manzano - Level 10
2024 Maggie Bai - Level 6
NATIONAL MEDALISTS
2020 Carlo Santos - LRCM
2021 Alexa Manzano - Level 9
This is my comfortable waiting room. There is a washroom off to the side of this space.
My Studio, in a walk-out basement, is brightly lit, with a full wall of windows on one side. It is large enough for me to conduct masterclasses and intimate recitals.
My two grand pianos are well maintained and tuned. With their side-by-side placement, I can easily illustrate for my students, and accompany them in Concerto repertoire.
This is my ever growing Library. It contains thousands of items: CD's, LP's and scores of all of the standard piano repertoire from Baroque to Modern. And I am constantly adding to it, especially in the area of 20th and 21st century repertoire.