Amanda Melnychuk, MMus

My full name is Amanda Lee Melnychuk, but you can call me Amy! I have been teaching piano for the past 15 years, up to 60 students a week, working with a wide variety of ages and skill levels. I am so grateful to have studied music throughout my life and I am honoured to be able to share my love of music with all my wonderful students! The ability to channel and process emotion through music is incredibly liberating, and I am so happy to welcome my students into the community that has provided me with so much beauty, meaning, support, joy and friendship!

I believe that private teaching is largely about building trusting and supportive relationships. Each student has their own strengths, goals and preferences, and I try to find repertoire that will help my students progress while keeping them motivated and excited. I am very familiar with the RCM syllabus and I encourage my students to participate in recitals and exams, as these performance deadlines can be strong motivators. Most importantly, I think music is meant to be enjoyed! I will do my best to make lessons a positive and fun experience!

A fourth generation music teacher, I grew up in a musical family, surrounded by a love for music. Piano was my first instrument and has always been a source of great comfort and companionship. I completed the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Teacher Certification Program, and received both my Associate diploma (ARCT) in Piano Performance and my ARCT in Piano Pedagogy. I also completed my Licentiate diploma in Piano Performance (LBCM) through the British Columbia Conservatory of Music. My primary teachers have been Mila Brandman, Akiko Tominaga, Barbara Siemens, Noel McRobbie, Brigitte Poulin and Bronwyn Schuman. I have played professionally as a collaborative pianist for recitals, exams, competitions, juries, festival classes, auditions and performances. I have also participated in summer programs, played for church services, accompanied choirs and performed at festivals and competitions. Over the last couple years, on piano, I accompanied a graduation recital at Concordia, I performed a world premiere of a piece composed in 2024 Sonata for Cor anglais and piano Op 73 by Stewart Grant, I recorded a new arrangement of Brahms’ Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2 which is available to stream on Spotify, I was hired as the collaborative pianist for Oboe Extravaganza, I have accompanied a number of audition videos, I recorded piano and helped compose one of the pieces for a theatrical circus production, I prepared the music for two funerals (one performed live and the other recorded in advance) and I played piano at a wedding.

I also play the oboe professionally, and have taught oboe for Banff Music Retreats, the Mount Royal University Conservatory, MusiCamp Alberta and the Banff Youth Orchestra Symposium. I placed 3rd at the National Music Festival and performed as a soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra at the conclusion of the RBC Concerto Competition. I am currently a Post-Graduate Artist Diploma student at McGill studying oboe with Anna Petersen. I have played recently in concerts with a number of local groups including Sinfonia de l'Ouest, L'Orchestre symphonique CAMMAC, L'Ensemble vocal Deo, Kirkland Concert Band, Lakeshore Chamber Orchestra and Lakeshore Concert Band, as well as some professional freelancing at church services. I also received grant funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to perform and record a world premiere of a piece I commissioned in 2020, Three Dances for Oboe and Piano, by Han Ding.

In addition to my own private studio, I have taught piano and theory at the Avayedelnia Academy of Piano (2020), Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (2017-2018), Staccato Music Studios (2016-2018), Vancouver Bella School of Music (2017), West Point Grey School of Music (2016-2017), Imagine Music Inc. (2013-2016), Chinook School of Music (2014-2015) and Sara Pun’s Studio (2013-2014).

I have received the following awards: McGill Grad Excellence Award, Schulich Grad Scholarship, British Columbia Arts Council Scholarship, Calgary Pro Musica Chamber Music Prize, Music Matinee Scholarship, David Frederick Baker Memorial Prize, Newcap Award in Music, John K. Nikel Memorial Scholarship for Music Education, F. M. McLeod Prize, and the Nickle Family Foundation Scholarship.