Berlin Atelier · In-Person & Online Piano Studio
A Berlin salon for serious, inspiring piano study with Dr. Monique Arar — welcoming adult learners, gifted youth, and pre-college artists.
Programs
Beginners, those returning to the keyboard, and advanced amateurs. Repertoire and technique tailored around your life and goals, not a rigid syllabus.
She patiently helps me improve the areas where I struggle and is very understanding of my mistakes.
Focused artistic training and solid musicianship for curious young pianists building deep technical fluency and expressive confidence.
My child looks forward to every lesson and has grown into a genuinely musical player.
Comprehensive audition strategy, repertoire building, and mock juries for conservatory, Hochschule, and university applicants.
Duo and ensemble sessions focusing on balance, breathing together, and rehearsal craft, as well as vocal and instrumental accompanying for auditions and recitals.
Harmony, solfège, score reading, and a healthy, body-conscious technical foundation designed to prevent strain and build effortless freedom at the keys.
Every program is taught in person at the Berlin atelier or online, in English, German, Russian, or French.
Book a consultationEnrollment
A brief conversation to discuss your goals, answer questions, and see whether the studio is a good fit.
A paid one-on-one session at the piano to evaluate your current skills, explore your musical goals, and determine the right starting point and study plan.
Regular weekly study, enrolled by term across three academic terms each year: Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer.
Tuition rates and term fee schedules are shared during the consultation call.
Consultation
Start with a free 15-minute call. Tell us where you are in your playing and we will reply within two working days.
Testimonials
I really enjoy learning piano with Dr. Monique. She is a very nice person and supports me throughout the entire process. She patiently helps me improve the areas where I sometimes struggle and is very understanding of my mistakes. I would highly recommend her as a piano teacher because she is a true professional in the best way, passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated.
DmytroAdult student, BerlinAs a singer I have worked with many musicians, and Monique is exceptional. My child looks forward to every lesson and has grown into a genuinely musical player.
Jennifer PortoFormer opera singer & parentI sit at a computer all day and started piano as an adult. Monique rebuilt how I use my hands, and practice finally feels productive instead of frustrating.
Nathan M.Software developer & adult studentI returned to the piano after twenty years. The lessons are rigorous but never discouraging, and playing has become the best part of my week.
Christine C.Physician & returning adult pianistTeaching philosophy
Technique exists to serve imagination. Lessons begin with the sound you hear in your mind, then build the physical, historical, and analytical means to produce it — patiently, without strain, and with the score as the final authority.
Every student arrives with a different body, history, and reason for playing. Study here is holistic: healthy, injury-aware movement at the keys; informed by style, historical performance practice, and theory; and centered on the person at the instrument rather than a fixed curriculum. The goal is a musician who can teach themselves for the rest of their life.
About
Concert pianist, pedagogue, scholar, and founder of the Berlin atelier.
Credentials
Dr. Monique Arar's musical life began at age three and a half, learning to read music before words. Trained in the traditions of the Russian piano school, she went on to complete her doctorate in piano performance and has performed across Europe, North America, and Russia as a soloist, chamber musician, and early keyboard specialist.
Following faculty appointments across five American universities and years in higher-education leadership, she relocated to Berlin — drawn as a European citizen to a historic center of classical music — to focus on her concert career, historical research, and teaching. Atelier Arar was founded as an intimate salon studio: a warm, dedicated space where adults and young artists alike are guided with patience, depth, and genuine musical inspiration.
The atelier
A salon-style studio built for music — a maintained Kawai grand, a historic French double-manual harpsichord, a harp, warm acoustics, a full score library, natural light, and space for intimate salon evenings each term.
Q&A
A tuned acoustic piano is ideal, and a weighted 88-key digital piano is a fully acceptable start. If you are still looking for an instrument, we will discuss options during your consultation.