VENUE NOTE: The October 26 meeting is back at Northfield Community Church.
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VENUE NOTE: The October 26 meeting is back at Northfield Community Church. 〰️
9:30–10:00 Pre-Meeting
Soo Young Lee
The Right Piece at the Right Time: The Art of Choosing Repertoire for Every Student
Choosing repertoire is one of the most important and creative responsibilities of a piano teacher. The Right Piece at the Right Time explores how teachers can select repertoire that balances a student’s ability, musical growth, and personal motivation. Through practical examples, Dr. Soo Young Lee will discuss matching repertoire to individual students, identifying the pedagogical purpose behind each selection, using stepping-stone pieces toward dream repertoire, and choosing music that challenges while inspiring. The right piece can do more than develop technique—it can build confidence, curiosity, artistry, and a lifelong connection to music.
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Dr. Soo Young Lee is a pianist, educator, and artistic leader whose career has been devoted to piano performance, pedagogy, chamber music, and the mentorship of developing musicians. In 2025, she was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame, recognizing her distinguished contributions to piano education and her lasting impact on generations of students.
Dr. Lee earned her Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she studied under the mentorship of Dr. David Kaiserman. She participated in the Aspen Music Festival, studying with Ann Schein and Herbert Stessin, and performed in master classes with Claude Frank, Menahem Pressler, and Nelita True. These formative experiences continue to influence her approach to teaching, which brings together technical discipline, musical imagination, stylistic understanding, and the development of each pianist’s individual artistic voice.
Dr. Lee currently serves on the Artist Faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago, where she teaches piano, chamber music, and theory, and is a member of the faculty of the MIC Academy, the Institute’s pre-conservatory program for advanced young musicians. She also serves on the piano faculty at Lake Forest College.
Her extensive teaching experience includes Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Midwest Young Artists, Merit School of Music, Northwestern University’s National High School Music Institute, Bay Chamber’s Next Generation Program in Rockport, Maine, Loyola University, and the Chicago Duo Piano Festival. Her work encompasses private instruction, chamber music coaching, master classes, workshops, and intensive summer programs, with a particular commitment to helping musicians develop confidence, independence, and a deeper understanding of the repertoire they perform. As a pianist, Dr. Lee has performed at Preston Bradley Hall, Millennium Park, WFMT 98.7 FM, the Sanfilippo Estate, and the Universidad Nacional de Música in Lima, Peru, among other venues. She remains active as a performer, chamber musician, adjudicator, lecturer, clinician, and concert director.
Beyond her teaching and performing career, Dr. Lee serves as President of the Society of American Musicians. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of ARK Ensemble, established in 2007, and the Founder and Artistic Director of CROSSROADS, a performing arts initiative that brings together established artists, emerging musicians, educational institutions, and communities through performance, mentorship, and cultural exchange.
At the heart of Dr. Lee’s work is a belief that meaningful musical growth comes from the close relationship between teacher, student, repertoire, and performance. She is deeply committed to creating an environment in which pianists are challenged to refine their craft while discovering a more personal, thoughtful, and expressive connection to music.
10:00–11:00 Business Meeting
Meeting will be led by NSMTA President, Mary Beth Molenaar.
Coffee/Refreshments provided by Hospitality Chair, Grace Juang.
11:00–12:00 Program
MingHuan Xu, Assistant Teaching Professor of Violin and Program Director of Strings at Roosevelt University
Beyond Teaching Music: Mentoring the Whole Musician
What does it mean to be a successful musician, and how can we guide our students toward a meaningful and fulfilling life through music? This presentation explores the evolving role of teachers as mentors, nurturing not only musical excellence but also personal growth, resilience, and individuality. Drawing from my experiences as a performer and educator, I reflect on how life’s challenges can reshape our understanding of success and purpose. Together, we will explore how teaching can go beyond technical mastery to inspire artistic expression, personal fulfillment, and a lifelong, meaningful relationship with music.
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Violinist and violist MingHuan Xu has performed across five continents as a soloist, chamber musician, and recitalist, equally at home in traditional repertoire and contemporary music. Her appearances include Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her Carnegie Hall debut was broadcast on Voice of America, and her performances have been heard on NPR, WFMT, and CBC. She has toured China for recitals and masterclasses and appeared at festivals throughout North and South America and Europe.
A core member of Chicago’s Ensemble Dal Niente, Xu is a committed advocate for new music, having premiered hundreds of works and collaborated with composers including William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Bright Sheng, Chen Yi, George Lewis, Lei Liang, and Augusta Read Thomas. With Dal Niente, she has performed at Harvard University, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Hong Kong’s Cosmopolis Festival, and contributed to numerous recordings. A former member of the Grossman Ensemble, she has also pursued projects incorporating electronics, dance, poetry, and visual art. Her commissions include a Chamber Music America grant for a new work by Huang Ruo and a Gilad Cohen work supported by the Barlow Endowment.
With pianist Winston Choi, Xu forms Duo Diorama, known for adventurous programs combining established masterworks and contemporary music. The duo has performed across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and premiered more than 60 works. Together with cellist Nick Photinos, they also perform as Trio Diorama. Xu was Co-Artistic Director of the Unity Chamber Series at Unity Temple in Oak Park from 2019-2023 and has collaborated with chamber musicians including Colin Carr, Eugene Drucker, and Ani Kavafian.
As an orchestral musician, Xu has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Birmingham, Cheyenne, Kamloops, Oak Ridge, and Midland-Odessa symphony orchestras, among others. She has served as guest concertmaster for the Elmhurst Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, and Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra.
Xu is Program Director of Strings and Assistant Teaching Professor of Violin at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and an Artist-Faculty member at New Music School. Born in Beijing, she made her recital debut at six and won first prize in the Beijing Young Artists Competition at eleven. She studied at Interlochen Arts Academy, the Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, and Stony Brook University; her teachers include Julia Bushkova, Almita Vamos, Roland Vamos, Pamela Frank, Philip Setzer, and Ani Kavafian.