I came to Ray as a shy student - I had played piano as a child, but had forgotten most of it. From our first lesson, Ray had me playing, and with gentle but persistent instruction, we regained the fundamentals and very quickly moved on to my beloved classical pieces. Ray is not only one of the most gifted performers I have ever heard, but he is a remarkable teacher, full of patience and intuition. He is able to individualize the student so that he finds your unique qualities - as well as working on what needs to be achieved to grow skillfully. His method is goal driven, so I never lost hope that I would soon be playing the way I truly wanted. Ray is a rare combination of personal brilliance, pure talent, a vast commitment to his students and a sheer love and respect of music which he communicates and shares abundantly. Working with Ray is a deep and abiding pleasure, a weekly joy - and gift to myself.

Janine di Giovanni, Author, Journalist and Senior Fellow, Yale Jackson Institute of Global Affairs