"We met Maria at the 92nd St Y School of Music in New York city when our son En-Wei was eight years old.  In the ten years that followed, our son won the Racanati-Kaplan Scholarship for Excellence six times in a row. Maria was not only a great teacher but a mentor who through patience and understanding guided our son in many ways through his growing years. She understood and challenged En-Wei's gift in each developmental stage. She was able to relate to his other interests and made lessons personable. Maria's steady presence, her passion for music and her enthusiasm for excellence were all inspiring and she taught our son so much more about life along with music lessons. She insisted on quality and uncompromising work ethics in his performance. She gave him the discipline he needed for all areas of his life. Her optimism and friendship also taught En-Wei not to give up easily when faced with challenge and difficulties.Our son had various interests while growing up, but he made a conscious decision to stay constant and to excel in piano even through the most unpredictable teenage years. This would not have been possible if he had not been studying with Maria. And to our whole family Maria is not only a teacher but a dear friend. She was part of the community that helped to guide our child's past and to, eventually, shape his future."

Ying-Hwa Hu  New York, New York (Our son is now a Psychology major at Princeton University.)