Music Conservatory of Westchester • Faculty

Born in Taiwan, Cindi Hsu took her first piano lesson at age five. She received her B.F.A. in piano performance from Tung-hai University in Taiwan, and her Master of Arts degree in composition from New York University.

Taking advantage of her background as both a pianist and composer, Cindi has developed an approach to training students of all ages to learn and appreciate music. “I use flexible, diverse, but solid teaching methods to meet each student’s individual needs,” says Cindi of her pedagogical approach. “I transform challenging sections of music into interesting games for children to make practice easier and allow better understanding. I connect other art-related activities to the lessons, and strongly encourage students to use their boundless imagination to explore the musical world. Sometimes, I incorporate my own compositions into lessons.”

Cindi’s style of teaching is fun, yet thorough and practical. “I truly believe that students learn best when it is comfortable for them to be curious, to make mistakes, and to develop their own styles.” In every lesson, she puts equal emphasis on how pieces of music are constructed and on how to play the instrument because “both these aspects are essential to playing well, and hence to fully enjoying music making.”

As a composer, Cindi sees the process of writing music as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. “Composing leads me to achieve a greater level of creativity and a broader imagination. I cherish the process of writing music because it demands real depth of feeling. It is an outlet for my joys and frustrations.” A recipient of numerous ASCAP Standard Awards, Cindi has had her music performed in Taiwan , Paris , and New York , including performances at CAMI Hall in 1998, and at the Music Conservatory of Westchester in 2005. Cindi has served on the faculty of the Music Conservatory of Westchester since 2001.

Photo/Pinsky Studio

Return to complete Faculty List

Conservatory faculty are all highly skilled and experienced teachers. Teachers are assigned to maximize the learning experience of each student taking into account the students musical interests and goals, age and scheduling needs.

"I am very happy and proud of Jun Luke Foster’s and Benjamin Boventer’s achievements. I taught Jun Luke for 12 years and his acceptance to Juilliard School of Music is a great sign of his musical maturity and accomplishment. He was also accepted to Harvard and Yale. Benjamin was with me for five years. He won a prestigious $40,000 scholarship from Skidmore College for music studies. He was the only pianist in that competition who received this award. He was also accepted at Tufts University. It is very satisfying to know that our students continue to achieve such success." —Svetlana Gorokovich, MCW Faculty

Conservatory faculty are all highly skilled and experienced teachers. Teachers are assigned to maximize the learning experience of each student taking into account the students musical interests and goals, age and scheduling needs.

"I am very happy and proud of Jun Luke Foster’s and Benjamin Boventer’s achievements. I taught
Jun Luke for 12 years and his acceptance to Juilliard School of Music is a great sign of his musical maturity and accomplishment. He was also accepted to Harvard and Yale. Benjamin was with me for five years. He won a prestigious $40,000 scholarship from Skidmore College for music studies. He was the only pianist in that competition who received this award. He was also accepted at Tufts University. It is very satisfying to know that our students continue to achieve such success."
—Svetlana Gorokovich, MCW Faculty

Cindi Hsu | Piano , Composition

Music Conservatory of Westchester • 216 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606
914.761.3900 • info@musiced.org

The Music Conservatory of Westchester is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Site designed by 744Creative.com