Ms Larisa plays piano pieces so beautifully, she has magic power to make even very simple pieces different and very touching (not to say the hard ones)! When she teaches students, she pays attention to every detail, your finger position, dynamics, touch, soundness, elbow position, body motion, pedal, ... she balances between techniques/skills and piece learning. She also holds periodical recitals and technical tests to track students progress. My daughter has been with Ms Larisa for three years, she has made huge progress! Really grateful for having such a great teacher! read more

I've been with Larisa for 10+ years and I can confidently say that she is a really great piano teacher as well as person. I feel that she genuinely cares for not only my music education but also my wellbeing. She has prepared me really well for all performances and competitions. Larisa will definitely help your kids to achieve whatever musical goals you have in mind. read more

My daughter has been with Ms.Olga for the last five years and we highly recommend her for piano. She is always kind, full of encouragement and goes above and beyond in preparing her students for recitals, testing, and competitions. read more

Larisa is the best piano teacher my children have ever studied with. She doesn't just focus on technique and preparing for competitions--she also instills a deep appreciation for music and the discipline. Many of her students are the most accomplished junior musicians in the Bay Area, and often stays with Larisa for many years before they head off to college. If you're serious about music, consider Larisa and PMA in general. read more

I've been learning to play piano with PMA since I was six. Larisa is my current teacher and has been for most of my music education with PMA. She is an outstanding teacher who takes everyone's needs into account and works with each student individually. She believes fully in her students ability to play well. She works with her students to allow her students to be able to play the songs to the best of their ability. Her lessons are one-on-one where she focuses on helping her students master their current songs and overcome their struggles in music. She makes sure that you're fully prepared before having you perform a specific song in her recitals --- if you're not ready, she'll let you skip and play it at the following recital. I've taken all the CM tests up to level 8, and passed. She ensures that you are well-prepared for the CM tests. She is really good with preparation for CM tests and is really good with preparing her students for competitions. -- Her students often win in competitions. The songs that students typically play are chosen by both her and the student, songs that she believes are of the student's level. Through my music journey with Larisa, she has taught me a lot and has increased my love for piano music. She is an amazing musican and teacher and her passion for music is what makes her such an amazing teacher. I would highly recommend her 10/10. read more

Without a doubt the best instruction I've ever had for the violin. Their dedication to the instrument goes beyond that of any other studio that I've seen- for them it becomes a religion. All of their teachers are masters who know how to diagnose what's wrong in a performance and correct it almost immediately. They are very supportive and encouraging for younger and older students, and reciprocate the enthusiasm shown by the student in order to get the best out of them. Parents are encouraged to observe, but in general even without my mother there the standard of instruction did not reduce one bit. After moving to California I searched for several teachers for 2 years, but PMA provided the best instruction I've ever had. read more

If you are seeking outstanding music instruction and growth opportunities for young people Pacific Music Academy is a great place to consider! Our son has tackled and learned piano skills and pieces and music theory with speed and depth that probably would not have been possible without the tremendous, expert guidance he has enjoyed from Larisa and others at PMA. Phenomenal people! read more

For background, I have been playing violin for almost 12 years since I was 5 years old. Master violinist Arthur Mikhailov is one of the best violin teachers in the Bay Area, and for the 5 years I have participated in lessons with him, he has not only been a excellent teacher, but also a personal friend. Through his advanced teaching methodologies and never-ending patience, he has improved my violin technique by leaps and bounds. Arthur's focus on building violin fundamentals vastly improves sound, allowing you to become a better violin player almost overnight. Most importantly, he adapts his teaching style to how you learn, maximizing lesson throughput and skill progression. I would recommend Arthur Mikhailov to any serious musician who wishes to reach the pinnacle of violin playing. read more

My son have been taking violin lesson with Ms. Galina Andre for almost 2 years. Ms. Galina is a great violin teacher; she encourages, challenges, and teaches my son to appreciate music. She wants the BEST for her students. Ms Galina coaches the Violin, Viola Ensemble Festival every year. It's a wonderful experience for students to play in an ensemble. The ensemble plays at parks, nursing homes, and a final concert at a theater. I would highly recommend Ms. Galina Andre for anyone is looking for a violin or viola teacher. She will inspire your child to play and love music! read more

Piano master Larisa is not only an amazing musician, but also a great teacher. She works tirelessly to ensure you improve and become better at playing the piano. I highly recommend anyone of any skill level to learn from Larisa. read more

Sadly our experience with PMA was not good. Ms Sarah Gao was our kids' teacher and would reschedule classes almost every week. Almost always I'd get a text past 8pm the day prior to lessons asking to reschedule. Once was fine, twice I get. Then it just got annoying. I mean if you don't value my time then I'm sorry, I'm taking my business elsewhere. Then there's the administration which is terribly managed. I tried reaching Maria numerous times to get a new and more consistent teacher. Not once did I get a call back. Until, that is, I told them we are discontinuing. Then she offered me a ton of opinions but I was halfway out the door. They overcharged us for classes that did not happen and it was a pain but we did get it sorted out at the end, so I'll give them that. I'd pass on this one. read more

This place turns children into serious musicians. Our child has been studying piano with Larisa of PMA for four years now and has made incredible progress. Larisa is an outstanding teacher and will only work with kids who have potential and musicality. She doesn't accept all students who seek her out. You have to audition. Once she accepts a student, she is all in. She believes in her students when they themsevles aren't sure about their own abilities. She is passionate at what she does and puts in so much of her time and energy to each student and she produces outstanding results. Many of her students go on to prestigious universities and music programs at major universities and they win top awards at competitions. She has an exquisit sense of musical interpretation and the artistry she imparts on her students is unrivaled. She is also not afraid to hold students accountable. My child trusts her expertise and respects her candor. read more

My three children have been taking piano, choir, and voice lessons at the Pacific Music Academy (PMA) for two years. I recommend PMA highly. First of all, PMA attracts many accomplished teachers and musicians with advanced degrees in music from prestigious music schools to teach at the academy. The school holds an open class when a new teacher is brought in to allow parents and students to find the best fit. My daughters enrolled in PMA's piano program with Larisa Konakova after over a year of laid back learning. Within half a year, Larisa raised them to the first place in the US open piano competition, a result that would not be possible without her teaching. Larisa is a masterful teacher. She is passionate about music, and she ignites the same passion in her students. She has an extraordinary ability to communicate the essence of music to her students. She not only shows her artistry and expression backed by her professional Russian training, she also encourages students to explore expressing the same piece in different ways, enabling her students to develop their own appreciation and interpretation. Larisa is effective. She does not follow specific piano courses. Her lessons are tailored to each student's level and needs. She works with students on hand-picked repertoires that have appropriate challenges. Her personalized lessons are the key to her students' remarkable progress. Larisa strives to raise the bar for her students to reach a level they never thought achievable. Instead of rushing through pieces, she takes time to perfect a piece until her students bring out the intensity and beauty of the music and realize the joy of playing it. This training process is extremely valuable to our children as it can be applied to learning all subjects in their lives. Dr. Weng taught my daughters music theory and is extremely nurturing and thorough. She helped them build a solid foundation in how music is written and structured. My daughters have also taken choir and voice lessons with Ms. Kim at PMA and have acquired a greater appreciation of the music and sense of artistry. Our son began piano in a group class with Nataliya Shishkina. She kept the class of 3 boys on track and provided a good introduction to piano. We then moved to an individual class with Dr. Sergiy Komirenko. Sergiy has been patient, persistent, and maintained a good humor that has kept my son engaged throughout his lessons. My son has been encouraged to find his own intuitive feel for the music, and I am impressed with his progress with his teachers. PMA offers ample opportunities for students to perform in various music events. Their students have a formidable set of accomplishments in various music contests including the US Open Music Competition, where they won 20 medals in 2011 and 55 medals in 2014, which ranked them #1 in medals per student in the Bay Area. They also have many students advance to the finest music schools in the nation. I am very pleased with our decision to enroll our children at PMA, and we plan to continue there in years to come. read more

I can't say much about the school "Pacific Music Academy" but my son has learned a lot from his Music Teacher Ms. Sarah. After going to a few school, Ms. Sarah is the better than a lot of music teacher. I would recommend her. . About the school... It can be better. One of the complaint of few parents is the restroom. The restroom is for employees ONLY. It's a school with no restroom for its students. When my son needed to use the restroom one time, I overheard one of the music teacher said, "he should have went before class". . One other thing... The school wants the students to take off their school. Why should my kids take off their shoes if the teachers or instructors DOES NOT take theirs off. It's not to be clean if the teachers or instructors does not take theirs off. If everyone takes their shoes off, then I'll understand. It's like a Cop on their cell phones and giving someone a ticket because they were on the phone. . If you have a question, please send me a text or give me a call. Do not leave a voicemail because I don't check them. Kris - 408-359-6200 . Thank You read more

Pacific Music Academy is probably the best academy for musicians who are seeking to learn music from the best. For violin, Arthur Mikhailov is one of the best violin teachers who has ever taught me. I truly recommend anyone who is willing to play an instrument and is looking for a fantastic teacher to guide them as a musician. I have actually been with Arthur for almost 5 years. His teaching helped me become the person I am today. I am going to attend Oberlin College and Conservatory in the fall of 2014 as a freshman. read more

I have been thinking about learning violin from an early age after being discouraged by my mother. I finally decided to do it and started looking for a teacher. Nobody really wanted to start with an adult from scratch because according to them it will never work. Doctor Mikhailov was highly recommended by a group of friends. I am eternally grateful to Arthur for his kindness, patience and persistence that helped me to overcome insecurity and to believe in myself. Yes, I work very hard but it's all worth it. read more

My daughter has been studying violin with Arthur for 2.5 years. During this period of time, she has moved up 2 levels in ECYS to Senior Symphony now. She also won the ECYS solo competition last year. Of course, Arthur has been behind all these progresses. What we've learned from Arthur is not just violin skills, but also a great passion for music. Given his professional violin skills, I'm not surprised about his enthusiasm when teaching advanced students. But I'm truly amazed about his patience and devotion teaching beginners. I definitely recommend Arthur to anyone who is seriously considering learning violin. read more

Pacific Music Academy is the best place for kids to learn piano. During my daughter's 5 years studying with its Music Director Larisa Konakova, she has made tremendous progress. 10/10 would recommend for anyone beginning to advanced. read more

When my daughter first started piano group lessons with PMA a couple months shy of becoming 6, I had as many doubts and questions as you do right now as you read through this. Is my money spent on such an expensive instrument a wise investment on my child's music interest? How do I make sure I find the right teacher who inspires her to play music and in turn to love music? With all my first-time-music-parent concerns, she was welcomed by Ms. Nataliya into the class. The class always started with a dancing/clapping song to get the kids' spirits up, followed by keyboard practicing and basic theory learning. Parents are welcome to stay in the room to observe. Some of the most important foundations both my daughter and I learned include the correct hand position, sitting position, and postures. Time signatures such as ¼ note, 1/2 note, and whole note were then introduced and Ms. Nataliya reviewed and practiced counting with the kids every class. The class normally lasted half an hour and at the end of each class, kids danced to the Good-Bye song. Homework was minimal, no longer than 5 to 10 minutes per day. By the time my daughter graduated from the group lessons 3 months later in December, she started playing Jingo Bells and I could just tell that she LOVED it because she could now sing to a piece of beautiful music played by herself! 3 months seemed a long time, but once she grasped the basic skills, she progressed much faster in individual lessons taught by Ms. Irina. The individual lessons are very structured. 10 minutes of sight reading, 10 minutes of finger power exercises followed by detailed instructions on pieces carefully chosen by Ms. Irina. Two months after starting individual lessons, my daughter got the opportunity to perform as the one of the youngest students in the PMA Spring Honor Recital. Seeing her going up to the stage to perform confidently in front of a big audience, I knew I had chosen the right place for my daughter's music education. My daughter is now 8 years old and currently studying piano with PMA's head teacher Ms. Larisa. Deemed as the strictest teacher in PMA and one of the best music teachers in Bay Area, Ms. Larisa never ceases to challenge her students to reach to the next level and be the best among their peers. She works diligently to prepare students for recitals, CM tests and competitions. Those days spent towards these events are filled with frustration, tears, joy, and most importantly accomplishments to the students. One night before the competition, Ms. Larisa worked with my daughter and her partner in duet till 9:30pm to polish the music. The kids will always remember Ms. Larisa's dedication to motivate them to practice more and achieve excellence through hard work. These memorable moments will hardly ever fade in my daughter's memory as they encourage her to excel in every aspect of her life. By now, I no longer have any doubt that music will always be a part of my daughter's life and hope that she will one day use her beautiful music to heal, to entertain, to inspire... In addition to piano lessons, my daughter also takes theory lessons and choir lessons at PMA. Dr. Weng who teaches the theory lessons is very patient with the kids and she fully prepares the kids for CM theory tests by giving them extra lessons and worksheets before tests. All in all, PMA teachers are highly professional and have both exceptional education background and extensive teaching experiences. If you are looking for the highest quality music education in Evergreen area in San Jose, you have come to the right place. Last but not the least, PMA is located in the beautiful and affluent Silvercreek community, namely the Canyon Creek Plaza, where we as parents find ease and safety in parking, shopping and dining nearby. (Yes, I am talking about combining grocery errands with piano lessons and grabbing a cup of Starbucks!) read more