KU Community Music School
The KU Community Music School strives to inspire students of all ages to develop and nurture their joy in music. We offer programs in private piano instruction at various intensities with a wide array of performance opportunities. The University of Kansas School of Music provides us with a home for our private lessons, studio classes, master classes, and recitals. Aspiring graduate students from the School of Music provide quality instruction under the guidance of world-renowned pedagogue and Cordelia Brown Murphy Professor of Piano Pedagogy, Dr. Scott McBride Smith.
The KU Community Music School offers private piano lessons to students of all ages and interests. Lessons are held once every week, with 28 weeks of lessons in the academic year.
Piano Basics
- This program is for the student who loves to learn and enjoys making music. It includes 28 weekly lessons per year, and students perform on each of the four recitals. The cost is regular tuition. See tuition contract for more details.
Accelerated Program
- Students who love to perform and compete will benefit greatly from this program. In addition to regular lessons and recitals, students have the opportunity to participate in KCMTA events, and KU studio classes and master classes. The cost is regular tuition plus entrance fees, which vary by event. See tuition contract for more details.
Policy and Tuition
Enrollment Form
Contact
Questions or concerns? Contact Ruizhe Zhong at ruizhezhong@ku.edu.
Complete Calendar
Ruizhe Zhong — Director, Community Music School
Ruizhe Zhong is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy, as well as a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano, at the University of Kansas, where he studies with Dr. Scott McBride Smith and Professor Ellen Sommer. He also serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at KU, where he teaches undergraduate group piano, private lessons, and provides vocal and instrumental coaching. Previously, he studied Piano Performance at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees under the guidance of Yingdi Sun, Gaode Dai, and Hong Huang.
Zhong has been active in international piano competitions, academic conferences, and performance activities, receiving awards including First Prize at the KMTA Collegiate Piano Competition, First Prize at the Birmingham International Music Competition, First Prize at the AMIGDALA International Music Competition, and Silver Prize at the Santa Cecilia International Piano Competition China Region. He has also received multiple scholarships and academic awards from both the University of Kansas and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
His professional work integrates performance, pedagogy, and cross-cultural music studies, combining conservatory training in China with doctoral study and teaching experience in the United States. Zhong continues to engage in music education, artistic collaboration, and community music initiatives.