A native of Japan, Kozue is a versatile piano teacher, pianist and pedagogue who has experience performing and teaching various styles. She is an active soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician with over 20 years of experience teaching all ages and ability levels.  Kozue has performed as a soloist as well as a collaborative pianist at various concerts and lounges in Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Denver, Boston, Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan. Kozue’s students received north central regional awards by Royal Conservatory of Music, known as one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world.

A PIANO TEACHER WITH EXPERIENCE

Since her relocation to central Illinois in 2015, Kozue has been operating a large piano studio and actively serving communities by adjudicating music festivals and piano/theory exams. Kozue has opened her studio in Peoria in August 2023 while continuing to teach her students in Bloomington/Normal, IL. She also teaches piano remotely to students in various states and countries. Before her and her family’s relocation to Illinois, Kozue spent six years teaching piano lessons near Minneapolis, MN.  She also was an active member of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA), judging numerous piano competitions and serving as a committee member for the MMTA annual convention.

Prior to living in Minnesota, Kozue taught undergraduate piano courses at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Music.  During her time in Las Vegas, she also taught piano lessons and theory/piano master classes at two private studios: Music & Arts of Las Vegas, and New York Music Academy.  

In addition to teaching piano lessons, Kozue has prepared over 150 students who successfully passed theory/performance examinations given by the Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA), the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA), Nevada Music Teachers Association (NMTA).  

Kozue's students have won numerous awards in the Illinois State, Minnesota State and Nevada State Piano Contests, RCM Piano Exams, Sonata Sonatina Festival, and the Upper Midwest Music Festival. She has helped students prepare for college entrance auditions, gaining acceptances into the Brown University, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota, and Winona State University.

A PIANO TEACHER WITH TWO MASTERS DEGREES

Since completing her Bachelors degree in Japan, Kozue has studied music at three universities, earning a piano pedagogy certificate and two masters degrees in U.S..  Her Piano Pedagogy Certificate was earned while studying various piano teaching methods at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Kozue then earned a Master of Arts in Music from Eastern Illinois University (EIU), where she was awarded a graduate assistantship in piano accompanying, and won first prize in piano, and second prize overall, in the 2006 Peck Music Competition.  While at EIU, she studied both classical piano with Dr. Susan Teicher and jazz piano with Prof. Paul Johnston.  After this initial Masters degree, Kozue received a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she studied with internationally recognized concert pianists, Dr. Mykola Suk and Dr. Enrico Elisi. 

A PIANO TEACHER WITH A DIVERSE BACKGROUND

Having studied under pianists from Japan, Italy, Ukraine and the United States, Kozue has developed a diverse musical background and an appreciation for cultural and individual differences. She also has experience teaching to students with ASC/ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia, Down syndrome, dyslexia, and giftedness.

Kozue holds her permanent certificate as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), and she is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA), the Peoria Area Music Teachers Association (PAMTA), and the Bloomington-Normal Music Teachers Association (BNMTA). Kozue has also served as a judge for the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Festivals, ACT-SO Competition, ISMTA piano and theory exams. 

Contact Kozue Pepper and take piano lessons from a teacher with years of experience, a broad education and a diverse background.