About
Pianist Rena Murong Wu is currently pursuing her DMA studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Michael Chertock. She earned her Undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at the Eastman School of Music studying with Alexander Kobrin and her Masters degrees in both Performance and Chamber Music at the University of Michigan, where she studied with Logan Skelton. A native of Shenzhen, China, Rena began her studies in the U.S. at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School in 2014, during which she gave performances in Germany at the Liszt Gartenhaus in Weimar and the Schumannhaus museum in Leipzig. She has made appearances at summer festivals including the Gijon International Piano Festival (Spain), the International Keyboard Institute and Festival, the Hiiumaa Homecoming Festival (virtual) and the Chautauqua Piano Program, where she was a finalist in the 2022 piano competition. A passionate chamber musician and new music enthusiast, Rena was a member of the Contemporary Directions Ensemble at the University of Michigan and had most recently performed in chamber music masterclasses for the Takács Quartet, Trio Seoul, and Jasmine Choi. Rena has also devoted much of her career to Piano Pedagogy, currently serving as a Secondary Piano graduate teaching assistant at CCM teaching group piano and private lessons and has most recently given a masterclass in the CCM Peer Perspectives Masterclasses series. Serving as secretary of the CCM MTNA Collegiate Chapter, Rena has spoken at conferences such as the 2024 Ohio MTA, the 2025 MTNA Collegiate Symposium and MTNA National Conference presenting on pedagogical topics such as Jazz idioms infused compositions accessible to classically trained pianists, as well as the introduction of extended techniques for intermediate piano students.
Teaching Philosophy
My journey as a pianist and teacher is deeply shaped by the teachers who influenced me at every stage of my development. Their impact on my growth—both as a musician and a person—directly informs how I approach teaching today. Above all, I believe in the power of listening: not just to music, but to the student, their needs, and the sounds they are creating.
Listening as the Foundation
My earliest meaningful turning point as a pianist came when I met the teacher who, quite literally, changed the course of my life. She taught me how to listen—how to connect with music in a way that goes beyond notes on a page. That lesson stuck with me. Later, my undergraduate teacher took that foundation and pushed it further, challenging me to listen with even greater nuance. He was exacting and demanding, and while difficult, he taught me that a pianist is only as good as their ears. In my teaching today, I often ask myself, “What would he say?” His voice is present in how I evaluate sound, phrasing, and technique.
Technique Through Repertoire
I firmly believe that technical development and musical listening should happen within the repertoire. That’s how I was taught, and it’s how I teach. I choose pieces intentionally—each one meant to develop a particular technical or musical skill. Whether it’s refining sound production, hearing phrase direction, or shaping dynamic contrast, I guide my students to discover how these elements live in the music they’re playing. My own teachers did this with me: restricting me to Scarlatti or Mozart until my ears were ready for more chromatic or dense repertoire. I now pass on that patience and intentional pacing to my students.
Empathy, Encouragement, and Realism
When students say, “This is too hard,” I remind them: the technique they resist is the very foundation of the music they want to play. I help them see how scales, passages, and listening habits appear in their favorite repertoire. I also normalize struggle and nerves—something I’ve experienced firsthand. Performance is human, and the live stage is not about perfection. It’s about resilience, storytelling, and recovery. I coach my students to see those moments of challenge as part of the artistry.
I teach because I was changed by great teachers. My goal is to be that same spark for someone else—to help them learn how to hear, how to grow, and how to love the lifelong pursuit of music.