Pierre - Music theory tutor - San Francisco
1st lesson free
Pierre - Music theory tutor - San Francisco

Pierre's profile and their contact details have been verified by our experts

Pierre

  • Rate $65
  • Response 2h
  • Students

    Number of students Pierre has taught since their arrival at Superprof

    5

    Number of students Pierre has taught since their arrival at Superprof

Pierre - Music theory tutor - San Francisco
  • 5 (10 reviews)

$65/h

1st lesson free

Contact

1st lesson free

1st lesson free

  • Music Theory
  • Songwriting
  • Musicology
  • Orchestration
  • Organology

Award-winning composer teaches Composition, Orchestration, Music Theory, Analysis and Harmony for all levels !

  • Music Theory
  • Songwriting
  • Musicology
  • Orchestration
  • Organology

Lesson location

    • At Pierre's house: San Francisco

    • online
    • at your home or a public place : will travel up to 20 mi. from San Francisco

Super Prof

Pierre is one of our best Music Theory tutors. They have a high-quality profile, verified qualifications, a quick response time, and great reviews from students!

About Pierre

As a composer, I truly believe that technique is the main pillar of creativity as it enhances the latter. When you learned a language as a kid, it took several years before mastering it. This principle applies to music as well. French-pedagogue Nadia Boulanger said: " To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must break them." "Pierre Fontaine, born in Nanterre, France, is a composer whose taste for early-20th harmony, jazz influences, XVIIth century dances and film music have led him to conduct and compose for various ensembles such as the Telegraph Quartet, Symphonic & Chambers orchestras, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, Insight Chamber Players and more.

As a pianist who accompanies movies with live-improvised music in theaters across France, Pierre has also signed the original soundtrack for over ten short-films. Pierre has won prizes in several competitions such as the Highsmith Orchestral Composition competition 2025, the ERSO Composer competition 2024, the jury prize of the Artisee 2024 Finalist, the SSO Call for Score 2022 at USC in Los Angeles, the 6th Pankonin American Art Song competition 2022, 2nd prize at the SFCM Choral Competition 2022, 2nd Prize at the SFCM Art Song Competition 2021. Pierre is based in Paris, France, completed his Master’s Degree in Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Dr. David Conte. In addition, Pierre holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Teaching from Cefedem Auvergnes-Rhone Alpes, Lyon, France and an Advanced Certificate program in composition from SFCM. Teaching music has therefore been a vocation for almost 12 years now, and I have been able to accompany many children and adults in their discovery and/or deepening of this practice, from anywhere in the world! As an award-winning composer, my experience of the professional world can help build your career plan as well as managing your time efficiently. Currently living in Paris, Fr, I only offer online classes (Zoom or Discord). In addition, courses can be given in French or English depending on your preferences. If you would like more information, do not hesitate to contact me by email or through the Superprof Messenger.
Wishing you a happy new school year, Pierre Fontaine

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About the lesson

  • All Levels
  • English

All languages in which the lesson is available :

English

Dear student, Thank you for stopping by! Graduate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Composition with Dr. David Conte, I offer musical composition lessons adapted to your level and in the style/genre that you like. The courses mix all the practices mentioned above (Analysis, Orchestration, Counterpoint and Harmony). Through modeling of masterpieces, deep analysis, harmony exercises, music history anecdotes and music theory games, you will be able to gain the necessary knowledge to fully express yourself, without technical limitations. Composition world is an exquisite art that awaits your first step toward it.

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Rates

Rate

  • $65

Pack rates

  • 5h: $325
  • 10h: $650

online

  • $65/h

free lessons

This first lesson offered with Pierre will allow you to get to know each other and clearly specify your needs for your next lessons.

  • 30mins

Details

The price includes a one-hour lesson, access to ressources that best fit your learnings (PDF, documents, website), personal syllabus as well as the access to my network depending on your musical orientation.

Pierre's Video

Find out more about Pierre

Find out more about Pierre

  • When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

    When I was about 15 years old, I had a great piano teacher at the conservatory who would give me classical pieces to practice over the week and every lesson I would show up with improvisations around the piece I was supposed to have practiced. But instead of turning me down by not respecting the guideline, she would push me in that direction and would even introduce me to great improvisers. This made me realise that my purpose is to create music and make others understand the language of music as well regardless of what field of musical practice they want to pursue.
  • Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

    Modern music between 1875 and the 40s is the musical art that I listen to the most as I believe the rhetorical, the beauty, the knowledge was extremely sharp at that time. Ravel, Chabrier, Debussy, Stravinsky, Holst, Copland, Gershwin and many others are the composers I admire.
  • Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

    The art of Rhetoric in music. Structurize your musical thoughts so they are coherent and engage the listener's ears perpetually. Learn how to recycle, erase, double, augmented / diminished, answer and question any ideas you may come up with.
  • What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

    No instrument is complicated to learn as long as you have rigor and discipline. Any crafts you wish to master deserve time for learning. What is difficult is to find the time to practice in our modern times.
  • What are your keys to success?

    Again, rigor and discipline. Instinct does not exist in the creative process; it is only a sum of knowledge and your ability to open which drawers to use which techniques, which requires discipline and rigor to learn.
    Having a deep and true belief in what you want to create will also interest your potential collaborators. Being honest and real with both your crafts and interactions.
  • Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

    Maurice Ravel, Quincy Jones and John Williams so they can teach me the idea of "creativity enhanced by technique". Imagine a world when computers did not exist and that you had to compose or orchestrate only relying on your knowledge at the table. An utopia!
  • Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

    Having grown up in France, I was not really aware of the world of studios. I was an immense fan of Star Wars and the music astonished me from a young age. Years later, I was asked to assist a famous composer: little did I know that the recordings of the music would happen at ..... the Skywalker Ranch. If you don't know what this is, feel free to check on Google.
  • What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

    Perseverance, discipline, Honesty , open-mindness and adaptability.
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