Piano Instruction

Evelyn Ulex is an incredible teacher. Before I studied with her, I didn’t have much interest in classical music, or in having proper technique. Evelyn reshaped my attitude and abilities as a pianist, composer, and listener. She allowed me to choose which pieces to learn, and adapted her teaching style
to fit my learning style.
She never judged me for any difficulties I had while learning, and never lost patience with me. Our lessons were always filled with conversation and laughter. I left every lesson knowing that my musical knowledge had been enriched. I grew to love classical music, whereas before I barely had any appreciation for it at all. Everything I learned with Evelyn, I was able to apply to my own work.
I was recently accepted to Berklee College of Music, and I credit Evelyn largely.
I would not be the musician I am today without Evelyn, and I will always be so grateful to her.

I like Evelyn’s piano classes because i learn many different pieces that are enjoyable to play. She allows me to play pieces of my liking and guides me well overall. I’ve also had wonderful opportunities to play in front of large audiences like at the Staller Center at Stonybrook University, as well as being selected to perform with Lang Lang at the Tilles Center in Westbury. Over the ten years i’ve been playing with Evelyn i’ve learned more and more about the joy of piano and music and I’m very thankful to have such a great teacher.

Besides being a virtuoso pianist and a gifted teacher, Evelyn’s teaching goes beyond mastering the technique by delving deeper into the music itself. She teaches her students how to express through the piano playing a personal interpretation of the composition. She also chooses music pieces that
personally fit the student in both their affinity to it and their challenge that is very carefully tailored to the level of the student. In that Evelyn’s teaching is personal and inspirational, making her not just a great teacher, but also a life-long mentor.

Evelyn is a remarkable teacher in so many regards, but there are three that standout for us. She is so passionate about her craft that you can’t help but be drawn In to the wondrous process of learning and mastering a piece of music, whether it’s as simple as a Christmas carol or a fiendishly difficult Rachmaninov concerto.
Evelyn has an endless reservoir of patience, persistence and good humor. No matter how “ungifted”, clumsy or – on the rare occasion – unprepared you might be, she will unfailingly be at your side coaxing you to play at a level you would have never thought possible. Lastly, with her bi-annual performances, and strong connections to the Suffolk and New York City music community, she gives her students many opportunities to showcase their efforts, and – more importantly – to build self-confidence in themselves and their ability to perform “on stage”. Our family of 4 has benefited from Evelyn’s tutelage in the most profound way and, never could we have imagined that what started as “a bit of exposure to music” for our 8 year old, would, over the next 9 years, morph into one of the most joyful backdrops for our family.

Evelyn tailors to every student’s interests and needs. When I became really interested in jazz, she helped me develop a jazz-specific skill-set. The theory and rhythm I’ve learned with her has carried over to all the music I play in my life as I’ve grown. I’ve been learning with her since I was 7 and now i’m 19 and I wouldn’t want any other teacher.

We have three children taking piano lessons with Evelyn. Evelyn is a Pianist and musician with all her heart. She not only teaches her students the skills of playing piano, strong music theory, but also great performance skills. The lesson plan for each student is tailored to his/her strength and weaknesses. We particular love the summer concert, a lovely event where all piano families reconnect every year.

Evelyn is an accomplished musician who holds our boys to high technical standards and teaches them to perform with skill and expression. They are lucky to have such strong and professional training that manifests itself in high NYSSMA and Guild performances, as well as impressive recitals.

It’s not only about a piece and perfecting that piece, but you learn about music and theory—I’ve gotten a great foundation for music while having so much fun learning with Evelyn. I love her and look forward to seeing her every week.

We were introduced to Evelyn by someone truly dear to us – our former piano teacher, who moved away – but assured us, we would love her own, teacher.
Upon receipt of that recommendation, we were welcomed into the musical world of Evelyn.

Evelyn’s professional, thorough, intricate and compassionate instruction is apparent through my children’s growth in their comprehension,
development, skill, and most of all, appreciation of the art of piano. There is a meticulous attention to detail from foundation and beyond of musical theory, as well as of performance. Instruction is provided in a professional manner, and despite various challenges ranging from uncooperative weather, unexpected hiccups (e.g. the occasional injury) as well as pandemics, we find continuity and dedicated instruction in a consistent manner.
The attention to intricate detail is truly impressive, and the opportunities provided to her students to perform in front of an audience are priceless. We believe these experiences tie into character development from a confidence standpoint, and are thankful.

We truly are fortunate in having these opportunities to learn from, and grow with, Evelyn Ulex.
With much appreciation and many thanks.

Evelyn Ulex is a wonderful piano teacher! She has amazing skills as both a musician and an educator and shows so much patience and good humor in the process of teaching. Our daughter continues to learn and greatly improve her musicianship under her friendly and caring instruction. We also appreciate the opportunity for our daughter to play in public settings.

Evelyn Ulex has been working with our child, Elliott, since he was about 12 years old (he is 20 years old now). Evelyn was able to not only correct very wellingrained, and at that time quite automatic, piano playing habits but also quickly move Elliott from playing ‘Marry had a little lamb’ type songs to playing Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and others. Beyond just teaching Elliott piano basics, Evelyn was able to instill in him the love of the piano and the love of the great piano composers. Being a composer himself, one could immediately hear the impact of this learning on every new piece of Elliott’s own compositions, advancing and enriching them tremendously. Evelyn has been the most patient, compassionate and passionate teacher; her ability to connect with our child’s very unique mind helped keep him engaged and motivated, learning, playing and composing throughout these years. It is in large part thanks to Evelyn’s piano lessons (and her many efforts that went beyond these lessons, to actual recordings we used for school submissions) that Elliott was accepted to Berklee Academy of Music for his undergraduate level studies. Throughout it all, Evelyn has been (and still is) a true role model for Elliott, and for us, Elliott’s parent, going well beyond one’s expectations of any teacher, to inspire and awe us all (with her own level of musicianship and genuine friendship).

We appreciate Evelyn’s caring and kind teaching. She is strict, but she knows how to keep us learning and growing. She gives us the opportunity to perform in many events, which helps us learn to prepare for auditions, a judge, or an audience. She teaches us from the basics, including theory and performance, and she keeps us developing. She’s very passionate in what she does, and is very patient. We love her expressions, and we also enjoy the rewards.
Evelyn also has treats for us that we look forward to, and we love her expressions and accent which adds to our overall time and experience with
Evelyn. Thank you.

Evelyn Ulex is an exceptionally good music instructor because she connects with each student, meaning that she quickly recognizes their strengths and weaknesses and she highlights those strengths to build confidence early on as she addresses their weaknesses. But most importantly, Evelyn is a kind person;
children recognize that in her immediately, are drawn to her and are motivated to do well for her and for themselves. All four of our children studied played classical piano from age 6-18 and each of them worked with Evelyn over the years. Of all of the instructors with whom our children have studied, Evelyn Ulex stands out as the best.

We found Evelyn when our daughter Lily’s previous piano teacher (who happened to be a student of Evelyn’s herself) moved away and introduced us. Evelyn is a major talent in her own right with a true love for teaching. She has been a wonderful mentor and friend to our daughter over the past several years, and we are so grateful to her for helping Lily gain the skills and confidence to conquer challenging pieces while still maintaining her love of playing piano.

I am so very pleased to share my experiences as a student of Evelyn Ulex.
At my very first lesson, Evelyn immediately assessed my ability level and tailored future lessons to meet my specific needs and desires. From that point on, each lesson has been a joy and I am learning so much about technique, music theory, counting properly, training my fingers to adapt to difficult chords and fingerings and, perhaps most importantly, how to achieve musicality in my playing. Each different piece I work on is like a building block to the next. Each piece presents new challenges and skill sets so that I always feel I’m progressing and learning techniques that I can carry over confidently to future pieces. I have studied a wide range of pieces with Evelyn, from Classical to Ragtime — and learning such a variety of styles always keeps things interesting and enjoyable!
I have also learned so much about various musical periods, about the greatest composers and how they contributed to, created, and advanced musical styles throughout history, Evelyn imparts such fascinating knowledge with much enthusiasm and joy.
Because of Evelyn’s amazing teaching, I look forward to practicing every day. Sometimes I am very hard on myself but Evelyn always, with gentleness and humor, encourages me to overcome my self-criticism and practice with enjoyment, without tension and frustration. She gives me wonderful tips on how to diligently, yet calmly, work on and eventually master difficult musical sections. Often, when I reflect back on a lesson, I cannot believe how much I have learned in just one hour.
When I first learned of Evelyn’s astounding musical background and talent, and saw her playing concerts on YouTube and in person,or listened to her CD’s, I felt a bit intimidated about starting lessons with her. But Evelyn is so unassuming, so encouraging no matter one’s skill level or age (I am an older student), that any trepidation I had went right out the window. Evelyn is as sweet and down to earth as one can be.
I have been truly blessed to find Evelyn as a teacher. I have never learned so much in such a short time. She is demanding in that she wants each student to achieve his or her best, but at the same time she teaches with such warmth and loving encouragement.
I would urge anyone with an interest in learning piano to immediately run to Evelyn for lessons. You will NOT find a better teacher anywhere!

Evelyn’s teaching methods are excellent. She challenges our daughter with new pieces, but makes sure our daughter is not overwhelmed by breaking the pieces down measure by measure and starting with separate hands. Evelyn also works on essential fundamentals, such as scales, theory, and technique. Evelyn also works with our daughter Jordyn on dynamics and expression, so that the finished piece sounds beautiful. The results are the most telling evidence of Evelyn’s terrific teaching methods — the progress of our daughter since she has been with Evelyn (for about 3 years) is astounding — she has progressed dramatically and was to do NYSSMA Level 4 this year when she is only 9 years old.

Evelyn Ulex has certain qualities i had not been able to find in other teachers.
She has a true interest in her students, always attentive to their needs, and creates a sensitive and nurturing lesson which gives one an appreciation and understanding of music that go beyond musical notes.

I first met Evelyn Ulex during a recital presented by SPTF (Suffolk Piano Teachers Foundation). I was attending because I was considering joining the SPTF but foremost because I was looking for my next piano teacher. I didn’t know much about Evelyn’s teaching talent, her bottomless patience, her contagious enthusiasm, her kind encouragement, her deep knowledge, her inspiring achievements, her bubbly personality, and her joie de vivre; I heard her talking and I liked her. At that moment, I knew, I wanted her to be my teacher.

Evelyn was my teacher for only one year, but what a year it was! I was happy playing the piano. I couldn’t wait to practice and I could’t wait to show her what I learned. I became a better piano player and a better teacher, I discovered new music, and we became friends. I moved from Huntington and who did I pick to adopt my students? Evelyn, of course. My students have continuously grown as pianists, and to this day still thank me for suggesting Evelyn as their next teacher.