Music Teachers' Association
of New South Wales

Helen Krizos

With many years of experience as Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies at one of the UK’s premier royal conservatoires, I have recently returned home to Australia and am excited to share my expertise with a new generation of musicians. I am passionate about nurturing talent-whether in young students or advanced performers-and helping each to achieve exceptional artistry within a supportive, empathetic learning environment.

My students have consistently excelled at the highest levels. They include winners of the prestigious BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, broadcast across the UK to celebrate outstanding performers under 18. More recently, a remarkable 12-year-old student of mine was selected as a Lang Lang Scholar, performing alongside Lang Lang and participating in masterclasses and concerts throughout Europe and the United States.

Older students have also distinguished themselves in many national and international competitions, including most recent successes in 2025 at the prestigious Liszt Utrecht competition, ( The Netherlands), Concurso International de Piano, (Italy) and Rina Sala Gallo Monza International Competition (Italy).

Beyond individual lessons, I mentor emerging performers and musicians as they build their professional careers. I have developed pedagogical training programmes for conservatorium students and delivered specialised courses for piano teachers across Europe.

I look forward to inspiring students with my knowledge, experience, and deep love of music-and to helping them grow into confident, expressive, and accomplished musicians.

May 2026

Amanda Dietiker

Katia Pronin

Katia Pronin (Piano and singing teacher)

BMus(Hons) MMus(Performance)

• 20 years of teaching experience of all levels of musicians, including tertiary students.
• Accelerated method in teaching children from 5 years old.
• Preparation for successful AMEB, ABRSM, Trinity College London examinations, and scholarships (2021-2023 AMEB board member)
• Wide experience in tutoring for concerts and auditions.
• Up-to-date working with children check
• Accompanying String, Wind, Brass, Vocal, Choral, opera repetiteur (current Member of Guild of Accompanists of NSW)

• Concert pianist, Piano teacher, and mentor
• Singing (classical), singing, Opera Coaching
• Vocal technique, vocal coaching, voice
• Adult piano
• Aural training, theory, rhythm, sight-reading.
• Performance skills and coaching

BIOGRAPHY

Katia Pronin was born in St. Petersburg, where she obtained her DipMus with High Distinction and BMus from St. Petersburg Rimskiy-Korsak of Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano and voice.

After her arrival in Australia in 2006, she won a Fellowship in the Australian Ballet Company, where she worked as a pianist for one year. Since then, she has been employed as an accompanist in the dance department at Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne).

As a well-established artist, Katia has also performed many concerts throughout Australia.

She has been featured as a principal soprano in some of the most iconic roles of operatic repertoire. Her impressive list of credits includes Violetta (La Traviata), Tosca (Tosca), Carmen (Carmen), and Mimi (la Boheme).

Since 2007, Katia has organised her Private Studio, where she prepares her students for auditions, exams, and concerts. Her students have received the highest marks in the exams and Eisteddfod competitions.

Katia is the founder and director of the Pronin Performing Arts Company and Pronin Performing Arts Studio and has been an AMEB board member as a private teacher representative since 2022.

Pronin Performing Arts Studio has been selected as one of the most popular kids' activities in Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Paramatta, North Rocks, Bella Vista, and Dural.

Katia is also a piano and voice tutor at Redfield College and Hills Adventist College.

Katia enjoys teaching students of all ages for concerts, exams or leisure.

Mobile: 0423 708 937

Email: e_dpronin@yahoo.com.au

Instruments: Accompaniment, Accompanist, Keyboards, Musicianship, Piano, Theory of Music, Singing (classical), Singing Opera coaching, Also some categories like Opera, vocal technique, vocal coaching, voice, adult piano, aural training, theory, performance skills/coaching, rhythm, sight-reading.

Zarina Nurlanov

Zarina's diverse background allows her to to work confidently with students of any level of vocal and instrumental studies, understanding both technical and interpretive aspects from the performer's perspective.

Zarina is teaching at her studio in Pymble.

She is also available for exams, auditions and competitions as an accompanist.

Zara Bulatova

Man Chi (Mandy) Yip

David Schweickle

Dr Micaela Nathan PhD

Dr Micaela Nathan is a professional orchestral and concert performer, Music Therapist, examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB), composer, and artistic director. After attending the Sydney Conservatorium high school, she gained her BMus (high distinction), MA and PhD (music therapy/psychology) at Sydney University, with adjunctive research through Melbourne University and the Sydney University of Technology.

Over her 40-year career as a concert musician, Dr Nathan has performed widely as a recitalist, and worked regularly with the major Australian symphony, opera, and ballet orchestras in NSW, QLD, and Victoria, and held principal positions with many music theatre productions in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea.

Dr Nathan has been a music educator for 40 years at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, including lecturer at UTS, and tutor in woodwinds and piano at the Northern Rivers, Penrith, and Central Coast Conservatoriums. She is regularly sought for specialist instruction for HSC, undergraduate, and post-graduate music students.

As a Music Therapist, Dr Nathan provides music learning programs for children who are
neurodivergent, and have cognitive differences and physical disabilities. She has undertaken
specialist post graduate training and has 25 years' experience teaching these unique children.

Dr Nathan has composed five albums of structured music therapy sessions, presented at
International Music Therapist Association conferences, and published for the International Journal
of Music and Imagery.

Helen Cameron

Elizabeth Dracakis