James Anemone
Founder & Director
Piano Faculty
Mr. James Anemone is a pedagogue and pianist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the founder and director of Anemone Piano Studio, an award-winning private classical piano studio. His students have performed across the United States and Europe in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall (NY), The Academy of Music (Philadelphia), Sala dei Notari (Italy), GC de Lijsterbes (Belgium), Curtis Institute of Music, Ed Landreth Hall and Auditorium (Texas), Roussel Hall (Louisiana), Ognisko Polski (London), Mixon Hall (CIM), David H. Stull Recital Hall (Oberlin), Baruch Performing Arts Center, Armerding Center for Music and Arts, the German Society of Philadelphia, and others.
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His students’ achievements include top prizes at major competitions such as First Place at West Chester University Pre-College Competition, First Prize from Pennsylvania at the Opus Music State Competition, First Prize at Tri-County Youth Festival, First Prize in Charleston International Music Competition, Gold Prize at Bosendorfer Youth Music Festival, and First Prize at London International Chopin Competition. Additional honors include Alternate at PMTA State Competition, Runner up at Harmony for Peace J. Ambassador, Second Place at Chicago International Music Competition, 2nd Prize at Camerata Artist Competition, Third Place at Steinway Society Piano Competition (Steinert & Sons), Third Place at XIV Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford CT, Third Prize at Chopin Avenue Piano Competition, Honorable Mention at Cesar Franck International Piano Competition (Brussels), and Fourth Prize in Clara Schumann International Music Competition.
His students have competed and won Concerto Competitions such as York Road Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Concerto Competition and Ambler Symphony Orchestra Scholarship, earning solo performances with the ensembles. His students also regularly gain admission to leading summer festivals, including Piano Texas, Chicago International Music Competition and Festival, Music Fest Perugia, Oberlin Conservatory Summer Piano Festival, Cleveland Institute Young Artist Program, Southeastern Piano Festival, Adamant Music School, and New Orleans Piano Institute. Notably, one student was recently awarded a full-tuition scholarship for a BM in Piano Performance at Temple University.
Mr. Anemone's students also achieve frequent recognition in competitions such as Elite Music Competition, Little Mozarts Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition,Triumph Music Festival, Golden Key Music Festival, Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival, and Constance Murray Piano Festival. They have performed in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Norma Fisher, Alvin Chow, Angela Cheng, Carl Cranmer, Charles Abramovic, Young-Ah Tak, Brian Ganz, Jennifer Hayghe, Igor Resnianski, Veda Zuponcic, Maria Asteriadou, Timothy Blair, Vincent Craig, Terry Klinefelter, Silvanio Reis, Charles Louw, Marvin Blickenstaff, Christine Delbeau, Candace Chien, and others.
An active member of Music Teachers National Association, Mr. Anemone currently serves as local chair for the Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival hosted by Main Line Music Teachers Association at West Chester University. He has previously held faculty positions at the Nelly Berman School of Music and West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He also teaches piano for the West Chester University High School Summer Music Institute. In 2023, Mr. Anemone was honored with the Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award.
Mr. Anemone earned his BM in Piano Performance, summa cum laude, with a minor in Music History from West Chester University, followed by a MM in Piano Performance from Temple University. His teachers and inspirational figures include Dr. Igor Resnianski, Candace Chien, Faina Lushtak, Timothy Blair, Joann Kirchner, and Jeffrey Biegel.
Rachel Lee Anemone
Piano & Chamber Music Faculty
Rachel Lee is a prize winning classical pianist based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Academy of Music, Roussel Hall, and Madeline Wing Adler Theatre. She has also performed on a live broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM, performing works by J.S. Bach, Shchedrin-Pletnev, and Scriabin. Rachel Lee is a recipient of the Russian Musical Alliance of Philadelphia International Competition (1st Prize), Jacobs Music Steinway Award, Michael Morochko Piano Competition (1st Prize), Crescendo International Competition (1st Prize), Pennsylvania MTNA Young Artists Piano Competition (2nd Prize), Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow International Competition (Silver), and West Chester University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (Finalist).
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Rachel has performed in Masterclasses taught by renowned artists including Jennifer Hayghe, Gregory Sioles, Charles Abramovic, Marianna Prjevalskaya, Frank Heneghan, and Kevin Chance. Attending the New Orleans Piano Institute for five years, she also studied with Alan Chow, Faina Lushtak, Shearon Horton, and Constance Carroll, while competing in the annual Solo and Concerto Competitions.
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At West Chester University, Rachel served as President of the MTNA Collegiate Chapter, was an accompanist for the Recital Choir, under the direction of Dr. David DeVenney, and received the Lloyd C. Mitchell Piano Scholarship. Rachel is a music director/organist at Episcopal Church of the Trinity in Coatesville and also accompanies weekly for the Bensalem Korean United Methodist Church. She has been teaching private piano lessons since 2016.
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Rachel studied at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts and at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, with Dr. Igor Resnianski. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance in Spring 2019. She is currently working towards the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance with Dr. Abramovic at Temple University, where she also completed her master's degree in Spring 2021. As of Fall 2021, she is serving as an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
