Elli Kozak
PIANO, FOUNDER
Elli Kozak is a music educator, live and session pianist/keyboardist, arranger, composer, and producer.
Until the age of 16 – when he obtained his ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music with First Class Honours with Distinction – Elli was primarily classically trained in piano, theory, and composition. During this time, many of his teachers influenced his love and perspective towards music, including his piano studies with Yaroslav Pugach of the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, theory and musicianship education with Julia Galieva-Szokolay of the Glenn Gould School, and composition classes with Alexander Rapoport of the University of Toronto, as well as his time as a scholarship student at the RCM’s Young Artists Performance Academy (now the Taylor Academy).
At the age of 17, Elli became more involved in non-classical genres of music, beginning with his exploration of digital music production on programs such as Logic and Ableton Live, and continuing with his participation in numerous jazz and musical theatre pit bands as principal pianist.
Elli earned a Bachelor of Arts in Audio Production from Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University) renowned RTA: Media Production program. While there, he won Best Audio Post-Production in his graduating class for his composition/music production work on a short film, while simultaneously composing and producing music for two others.
In his musical career, Elli has performed at renowned venues like Rideau Hall, the Canadian Museum of History, the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park, Guild Inn Estate, and the Eglinton Grand. He has been the principal pianist for the Ottawa Pops Orchestra since 2022, and is a highly sought-after pianist in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.
Since moving to the National Capital Region, Elli founded Elli Kozak Music, which began as a humble home piano lesson studio. Having taught piano and music theory since age 16 in both school and private settings, Elli has leveraged his practical knowledge to deliver quality lessons in an environment that supports his vision.
Elli's teaching goal is to instill a love for music at large and encourage students to become their own trusted teacher and learner. With the background to know what it takes to be a professional musician, while remaining open-minded about students' different goals and desires, Elli has successfully worked with a range of students. From complete beginner adults just looking to learn to play their favourite songs, to students preparing for competitions, exams, and auditions, Elli's students have been selected to perform in the Steinway Advanced Performance Class, successfully auditioned for the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau, and have achieved numerous First Class Honours in RCM exams.