THECOMPASSCONCERTS

Madeline Bruser

Author of the acclaimed book, The Art of Practicing, New York City based pianist Madeline Bruser has taught musicians from six continents, both in person and online. Her distinct approach uses mindfulness principles to help musicians release physical and mental tension so they can transform their playing and expressive capacities. Her book has sold 90,000 copies in English and has been translated into Korean, Chinese, and Italian. And her popular Art of Practicing Institute summer program provides immersive group learning to bring performers greater joy and confidence onstage. The Institute also trains and certifies teachers to bring this approach to musicians around the world.

Madeline has served on the Adjunct Piano Faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University, and at the New School University. She developed the practice Performing Beyond Fear through her practice of mindfulness meditation, which she began in 1977 to gain more relaxation and confidence in performance.  

Back to top

Yukimi Song

Yukimi Song is a pianist and educator based in NYC. She has performed solo and chamber concerts at local venues such as Tenri Institute, Frederick Loewe Theatre, and le poisson rouge.

Yukimi has toured Japan annually since 2014, presenting solo and duo concerts with her best friend from high school, Natsuki Arakawa, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra violinist. The repertoire during the tours includes pieces by Albeniz, Franck, Piazzolla, Scarlatti, and Gershwin.

Past projects include a concert-themed “Mating Calls…Liebeslieder/Craigslistlieder” with a vocal quartet and narrator performed at Riverside Church. The project explored and contrasted the definitions of love between the 19th century and the modern day through the performance of two song cycles: Liebeslieder Waltz by Brahms and Craigslistlieder by Gabriel Kahane.

Upcoming projects include “Poems for Insomniacs”--Nocturnes by composers such as Scriabin, Field, Chopin, Liebermann, plus a piano transcription of Radiohead’s Exit Music arranged by Christopher O’Riley to complete the program. This fall, Yukimi plans to give a Broadway-themed piano recital with her colleagues, Eric Hunter and Clara Zhang. The concert will feature its all-time hit songs by Sondheim, Larson, Gershwin, Arlen, and Rodgers/Hammerstein to celebrate Broadway’s reopening in September.

Yukimi is a veteran piano instructor of 25 plus years. Her studio reflects her intuitive, holistic, and broad-ranging approach to the arts. She works with students of all ages and specializes in working with teenagers and adults who seek a lifelong love of music. She is also currently Vice President of The Piano Teachers Congress of New York.

Yukimi also launched a podcast show in August 2020, The Piano Pod, with Clara and Eric to create a larger community through conversations on-air to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era.

Back to top

Robin Holloway

Robin Ward Holloway is a pianist, songwriter, and piano teacher currently living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Robin holds two degrees in Jazz Piano Performance - BMus from the Chicago College of Performing Arts / MMus from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He has performed as a pianist across the United States and Europe, and he works as a recording artist across all genres of music.

Robin has composed and co-written several stage musicals including Cosmic Jazz Cabaret, (performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Festival), and Winning The Future (ongoing live performances and video content – more at: www.upanddowntheatre.com ). He is currently engaged as co-book-writer (as well as Arranger / Music Director) on the upcoming live show MacGyver The Musical. Robin moonlights as an actor, most recently in Seasons 4 & 5 of Better Call Saul (AMC).

As a teacher, Robin recently created the “Mindful Piano Intensive”, a course for students who want to learn to approach piano study as a mindfulness practice. As a long-time practitioner and instructor of Qi Gong physical meditation, he takes a wholistic mind- body approach to the instrument. His goal is to create the conditions for musical excellence by taking a wholistic approach to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of music making.

Back to top

Louis Yungling

Hello, my name is Louis Yungling and I'm the founder of COMPASS. I'm also a pianist and teacher.

Meditation, mindfulness and awareness exercises are an integral part of my teaching and practice. Musicians benefit greatly from these practices by being able to fine tune their focus and get more out of their practice as well as increase their responsiveness to sound and be more present and confident in performance.

I created COMPASS concerts to extend these practices to audiences and give everyone a moment to pause and go inward. We do this by sharing a brief contemplation exercise before every concert. In this way we practice being aware of one another and give ourselves a chance to feel and appreciate our unique contribution.

Preparing our minds and bodies to receive and make music allows us to be more receptive to the beauty and generosity that goes into a musical performance. And practicing this type of mindful preparation regularly can help us open our hearts more to the experiences of our day to day lives.

I am thrilled to share this journey with you and the very talented, generous artists who perform here. Thank you to all my musician friends for sharing your gifts and creating beautiful programs of music for our COMPASS community. And thank you to all who come and partake in these heart-warming community concerts.

I currently live and teach piano in Valencia, Spain. My teaching website: Yungling Piano Studio.

Back to top