Piano Studio at Gonzaga University

Dr. Archie Chen is on the piano faculty at Gonzaga University as Adjunct Instructor of Music (Applied Piano), and is accepting students into his Gonzaga piano studio. Whether you are a piano performance major, a music minor, or a student from another discipline who refuses to give up the instrument, there is a place for you at the piano.

My studio is welcoming and inclusive. Students arrive from every background, major, and level of preparation, and every one of them is taken seriously as a musician. You do not need to have attended a conservatory prep program or won competitions to belong here — you need curiosity and a willingness to work.

For High School Pianists Choosing a College

If you are a high school pianist deciding where to study as an undergraduate, the teacher matters more than almost anything else on the brochure. You will spend four years in weekly one-on-one lessons with that person. It is worth choosing deliberately.

I welcome conversations with college-bound pianists and their families well before application deadlines. That can include a sample lesson, a campus and facilities visit, honest guidance on whether a piano performance major, a music degree with a different emphasis, or a minor alongside another field fits your goals — and practical help preparing your college audition repertoire.

• Applying as a music major — audition requirements and degree paths are set out by the Gonzaga Music Department
• Scholarships — music scholarships are available, including for students not majoring in music
• Audition preparation — help choosing repertoire that shows your strengths and preparing to play well under pressure
• Sample lessons and visits — hear what working together would actually be like before you commit

Not sure yet whether you want to study music formally? That is a good reason to talk, not a reason to wait. Get in touch and we can think it through together.

Who Can Study Piano at Gonzaga?

Gonzaga’s Music Department welcomes all students into private lessons, regardless of major — over 500 students take part in ensembles, lessons, and courses each semester. My studio is open to:

• Piano performance and music majors — rigorous applied study preparing you for careers in performance, teaching, and graduate work
• Music minors and elective students — real technique and artistry alongside your primary field
• Students of any major — engineers, nurses, business and law students: if you play, or want to learn, you are welcome
• Returning and beginning adult students — including those who stopped years ago and want to start again

What You Will Study

Lessons cover technique, repertoire from Bach to contemporary composers, interpretation, and performance preparation — shaped around your level and your goals. I am a Sony Classical recording artist whose teaching lineage traces directly to Beethoven, Liszt, and Leschetizky. You can read more about my teaching philosophy and background.

What Studio Members Get

Studying here means more than a weekly lesson. Students who are ready for them have access to real performance and professional development opportunities:

• Broadcast performance on Spokane Public Radio — advanced students have performed on air, playing to a regional audience and coming away with a professional recording of their work
• Competition preparation and entry — choosing repertoire, preparing under pressure, and entering regional and national competitions
• Masterclasses with guest artists — play for visiting performers and pedagogues and hear your work through fresh ears
• Summer festivals — identifying the right programs, preparing audition recordings, and navigating applications
• Career and graduate school mentorship — drawing on decades as a performer, competition adjudicator, and institutional leader

Facilities, Venues, and Music in Spokane

Spokane surprises people. It is a real classical music city — a professional orchestra, a landmark concert hall, a year-round concert series, and a public radio station that champions classical music — at a fraction of the cost of studying in Seattle, New York, or Los Angeles.

Practice and performance facilities on campus

• Practice rooms available to students taking applied lessons — the daily reality of a music degree, and Gonzaga takes it seriously
• The Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, a modern, acoustically excellent venue on campus where students hear world-class visiting artists and perform themselves
• A department presenting over 75 performances each year, so there are real stages to play on rather than only studio classes

The wider Spokane music scene

• The Spokane Symphony — a professional orchestra performing at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, a restored 1931 art deco hall the orchestra owns and operates
• Classics Northwest — led by Grammy Award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, presenting concerts year-round across classical and beyond (formerly Northwest BachFest)
• Spokane Public Radio — an active champion of classical music and local musicians, and a broadcast outlet for advanced students
• Lower living costs — more of your budget goes toward your education, and more of your day goes to practicing rather than commuting

How to Join the Studio

Enrollment goes through the Gonzaga University Music Department. Prospective music majors audition through the department — see degree requirements and music scholarships. Current Gonzaga students of any major can register for applied piano lessons through the department. If you have questions about any of it, write to me — I would rather answer a question early than have you talk yourself out of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not a Gonzaga Student?

I also teach privately in Spokane. Spokane piano lessons are open to students of all ages and levels, in person and online — including high school students preparing college auditions who are not headed to Gonzaga.