<p>I am going to be studying at Columbia University next year but want to keep up my piano and take regular piano lessons. I would be looking at conservatory-level teachers. I know nothing about the piano scene in NYC, so if anyone can enlighten me as to who I might try contacting, that would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>Try getting in touch with teachers at Juilliard, Manhattan School, and Mannes.</p>
<p>Bit more on that. I was a student at Juilliard, so I know a bit about the teachers there. </p>
<p>At Juilliard, there are the following teachers:
Emmanuel Ax
Kenn Barron (jazz)
Martin Canin
Joseph Kalichstein
Yoheved Kaplinsky
Jacob Lateiner
Seymour Lipkin
Jerome Lowenthal
Julian Martin
Robert McDonald
Matti Rackallio
Herbert Stessin
Oxana Yablonskaya </p>
<p>I've heard good things about Lowenthal, Yablonskaya, Stessin, and Kaplinsky. I'm sure they're all great teachers though. Try to get some trial lessons if you can. Check out all their bios and see who appeals to you.</p>
<p>From the Julliard list, I am familiar with the teaching reputations of Lowenthal, Yablonskaya, Kaplinsky, and Lipkin - you could not go wrong with any of them. Some of them also teach privately at their homes. Good luck!</p>
<p>I would be surprised if you could take private lessons with many (or any) of the teachers listed above -- they have a full load of Juilliard undergraduate and graduate students and many, including Veda Kaplinsky, also have a number of pre-Juilliard students, so unless you have a previous connection, it is unlikely. (You'll notice that none of these teachers is on the list that you'll find at the link posted by Binx.) Your best bet at the outset is to take the free lessons offered through Columbia with adjunct professors -- some of whom are excellent -- contact the person in the Columbia music department who is responsible for the performance program (Deborah Bradley-Kramer).</p>
<p>I second the idea about taking lessons with a Columbia adjunct professor. I know the bass teacher who's on the faculty there and he's fantastic.</p>