Dr. Stephen Lewis
Online lessons and coachings available worldwide
In-person lessons and coaching in the Portland, Oregon metro area:
Portland, Happy Valley, Gresham, Clackamas, Oregon City, West Linn, and more
Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM)
DMA in Piano Performance
PhD in Music Composition
I offer
I also coach student ensembles and offer individual master lessons, and can teach lessons in music theory, aural skills, or conducting separate from piano or composition.
Please contact me to inquire about my availability.
Testimonials
Steve Lewis is an excellent piano teacher--kind, patient and incredibly knowledgeable.
-Kate D.
I already have a Masters in Music, but I feel I learned more from Steve in many ways, perhaps because he made learning interesting and created a compassionate and welcoming space to learn and grow.
-A piano teacher in Oregon
[Our son] was at the point of giving up on piano lessons but once he started working with Steve his desire and love for creating music was sparked again and now, he is on fire and pursuing music as a career in both piano and music production.
-Thea N.
Why study with me?
~ I have decades of practical professional experience as an active concert pianist, professional composer, gigging musician, accompanist, conductor, concert producer, and university lecturer. I bring all of this knowledge and wisdom to my students in their lessons.
~ I have a broad pianistic knowledge gained from studying with teachers across the French, Russian, German, and English schools of piano technique. In my own teaching, I synthesize all these different techniques and philosophies to help each student learn to play the piano with a uniquely healthy, robust, and liberated technique.
~ My education includes two doctorates in music (Piano Performance and Composition) from UC San Diego and a Bachelor of Music in piano and composition (double major) from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
~ I combine the rigor and discipline of a concert pianist with the unique insights of a composer. I teach my piano students to be true co-creators of music alongside Bach, Beethoven, and other composers; this makes piano playing become a truly creative art for my students, rather than one focused only on “perfection.” In composition lessons, I draw on my practical, lived experiences as a pianist to teach students not just how to express themselves, but also how to effectively communicate their own music to performers and the wider world.
Above all, I practice compassionate mentorship. I strongly believe that emotionally supported students with physically healthy techniques and habits are what lead to musicians who feel a meaningful connection to the piano, their compositional craft, and music in general. Students are encouraged, with my guidance, to do their personal best in reaching their own goals. I also try to impart to my students the values of dedication, steady progress, curiosity, beauty, and expressivity that I believe can enrich every area of their lives.