Kristin   Schaffner

Kristin Schaffner is a gifted pianist and teacher who has been teaching in the Pittsburgh area since 2003. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters of Music in Piano Performance with a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from Carnegie Mellon University. 
 
Kristin has had a wide variety of teaching and performing experiences that influence her approach to teaching, including adjunct professor of piano and music theory at Saint Vincent College, instructor of music at the Pittsburgh School for Creative and Performing Arts (C.A.P.A.), and head teacher in the beginning group piano program for the Carnegie Mellon Preparatory School. She has enjoyed teaching Music Together classes for parents and their children ages 0-4, and served as Music Director at the Grandview Presbyterian Church for over ten years. Kristin was winner of the Steinway Society of Pittsburgh's Piano Competition in 2003, and has had several of her students win awards in competitions and auditions.
 
Kristin comes from a very musical family and was introduced to the piano by her grandmother at an early age. Her grandfather played trumpet with a 'big band', her father is a professional saxophone player, and her brother is a gifted guitar player and song writer. Kristin enjoys making music with her family and believes music can help to build a stronger connection within relationships. 
 
Kristin recognizes that there is a great potential within every student to develop a deep love and appreciation for music. She hopes, first and foremost, that her students will take with them a joy for playing music that will last throughout their lifetime.