Théo R. — Piano Teacher — Ahuntsic, Montreal

Théo Raffin is a young multidisciplinary French artist. From a very young age, he showed a great interest in music, particularly the piano, which he taught himself until the age of 12, when he began music theory lessons at a music school. In 2014, as he was starting the clarinet, he was accepted into the Collège Aretha Franklin in Marciac (France), famous for its jazz music initiation workshop (AIMJ). In 2015, he was accepted into the Tarbes Conservatory, where he began a jazz cycle on the clarinet with Mathieu Samani, as well as piano lessons and vocal technique. The following year, he began classical singing lessons under the expert guidance of Anne-Laure Touya. At the same time, he took clarinet lessons with Chantal Souyeau and continued his piano studies. ​ In 2018, Théo was accepted into the Bordeaux Conservatory for classical singing with Sharon Coste and bass clarinet with Stéphane Kwiatek. Simultaneously, he was accepted into a Bachelor's program in contemporary music, jazz, and French chanson (which he completed in 2021). He also served as a piano teacher with the EMA music school. ​ In 2021, he was accepted into the Faculty of Music at the Université de Montréal for a one-year exchange program, studying with Richard Margison as well as other professors and coaches such as Rosemarie Landry, Robin Wheeler, and Francis Perron. That same year, he began a distance-learning Master’s degree in music education with the University of Tours (France). He also began teaching piano and voice at the Pantonal music school in Outremont. ​ In 2022, he decided to stay in Montreal and enrolled in a Master’s in Classical Vocal Performance, continuing with the same professor. This university has already allowed him to expand his stage and orchestral experience through soloist roles entrusted to him during opera productions, as well as through other projects (galas, baroque workshops, etc.). Furthermore, he was the recipient of the Anne-Marie Trahan Excellence Scholarship in the fall of 2022, the George-Cédric Fergusson Excellence Scholarship in September 2023 and 2024, the Gadbois Scholarship in April 2024, and the Wilrose Desrosiers and Pauline Dunn Scholarship in November 2024. ​ In 2023, Théo completed his Master’s in Music Education (MEEF) with honors (mention BIEN) and has just completed his Master’s in Classical Singing at the Université de Montréal with the jury's honorable mention. Today, he is also a private piano teacher and directs the musical group KINOR in Montreal. As of September 2024, he has returned to the Université de Montréal to pursue a postgraduate diploma (3rd cycle) in classical singing.

**Piano Lessons**: I offer piano lessons based on learning both the instrument and music theory. For younger students, I use music to playfully teach them the fundamentals of solfège. I offer instruction in all styles, ranging from jazz and pop to classical. I am attentive to each student, their motivations, and their goals. I use various piano methods: the Bastien and Aaron methods are very effective with young beginners. The Suzuki method is also excellent and suitable for more advanced young students. For technique, the essential "A Dozen a Day" books are very useful. I have several subscriptions to large sheet music databases, and I can also write custom arrangements for specific requests. I look forward to meeting you and working together! **Singing Lessons**: Although I am an opera singer, DON'T PANIC—I would never force a student down that path. I am here to help students work on their voice and technique. During the first lesson, it is helpful to experiment and discuss your goals so that we can build a roadmap together for what we want to achieve. PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT OFFER SINGING LESSONS AT MY HOME.