Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Savvas.
Hi Anna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
So many conditions were met in order for me to become a concert pianist and teacher. They are innumerable, so I’ll mention just a few today. My maternal grandparents immigrated to this country from Greece and worked menial jobs until they saved enough to build their business, which allowed them to raise and educate my mother and her siblings. My father, also a Greek immigrant, worked as a chemical engineer and provided for our family well enough to afford our piano lessons. On my mother’s side of the family, the profession of teaching was held in such high regard that my mother and her three sisters became teachers. For me, love of knowledge and even more so, love of sharing that knowledge gives me great purpose and joy. I have always felt a deep connection to the many religious and folkloric traditions that honor the passing on of knowledge from generation to generation. In my piano studio, I feel that I am carrying on that age-old tradition.
With my two older sisters playing Bach, Mozart and Kabalevsky before me, I couldn’t wait to begin lessons. Mrs. Lake was my teacher from ages 6 to 15. I learned so many good habits from her, including sight-reading and having a curiosity for contemporary music. In high school, I studied with other teachers who kept my love of music alive. Eventually, I was successful in finding the teachers who would help me create the sounds and depth of expression I had in my imagination but wasn’t able to produce with my fingers. I eventually landed in New York City where I studied with two professors who opened the doors to that world of sonority and imagination. There was also the endless listening to great artists, both in concert halls and via recordings, to analyze the technique of creating beautiful tone colors, expressive phrasing and meaningful, historically-informed interpretations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think my youthful personality was a bit of an obstacle for me. I was very shy and when, at the age of twelve, my teacher offered to take me to the university for monthly lessons, I didn’t accept. I was just too shy around adults to go on the long car ride with her and couldn’t imagine what we would talk about. I wasn’t afraid to study with her professor, however. He gave a master class in our town and I loved participating.
Financing my education on my own was a real challenge. Our country needs to make changes regarding the cost of higher education if we want create a society where we all fulfilling our potential. Other than that, it has mostly been smooth, but there were a couple of other bumps in the road. I didn’t have my own piano in NYC while pursuing my master’s degree and I really needed one. Also, I never had a lifelong mentor and I feel I missed out on some knowledge, guidance and support, but I don’t dwell on these things because, all in all, I know how fortunate I’ve been.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I care deeply about my students, their development as human beings first, and then as musicians, but I think is the case for all dedicated teachers so I am not unique in this regard. I also respect my students, no matter how young or old they are, and I ask for their input regarding the music and the learning process. I enjoy that dialogue and I find each student unique and delightful. I am grateful and honored to be their teacher and to be able to pass on my love for music and the piano.
I also enjoy finding out about each student’s musical tastes and preferences. I am primarily a classical musician who also appreciates and can play jazz, popular, movie, and video game music. So if a student is really enthusiastic about a different genre, I add that to their repertoire and they love it. I have very high standards that I like to pass along in a gentle but tenacious way. Students develop a liking for it, since it is our norm, and their parents appreciate it, too. It’s so rewarding, having had a lot of experience teaching at this point in my career (over thirty years); I feel I’ve gained some mastery over connecting with many different types of students, with varying interests and learning styles. We somehow reach a tacit agreement that we strive for excellence in my studio and that I will be patient and relentless (with good humor) to help the students achieve the musical goals we set together. It is tremendously rewarding for me!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
San Diego is a city that values the arts. Not only do we have generous philanthropists who support our large organizations like our symphony, we have a culture of families who care about music education for their children. It is a pleasure and an honor to teach their children.
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