Pierre - Music theory tutor - San Francisco

1^st lesson free

Pierre

5 (10 reviews)

Price $98
Answer 2h
Students
Number of students Pierre has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
5
Number of students Pierre has accompanied since arriving at Superprof

5 (10 reviews)

$98/h

1^st lesson free

Music Theory
Songwriting
Musicology
Organology

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

Music Theory
Songwriting
Musicology
Organology

Lesson location

- online

Super tutor

Pierre is one of our best Music theory tutors. 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

About the lesson

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.

Review

All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience had by the students of Pierre.

5 (10 reviews)

L

Luna
- 5
Perfect! Pierre's class was amazing - clearly structured and centers around my goals and needs. He even listed out a syllabus for the next two months in order to achieve my goals. He is very friendly and explains everything clearly, it was great to take his class and will be contining piano and music theory with him!
See the response from Pierre Read more Read more

L

Luna

Perfect! Pierre's class was amazing - clearly structured and centers around my goals and needs. He even listed out a syllabus for the next two months in order to achieve my goals. He is very friendly and explains everything clearly, it was great to take his class and will be contining piano and music theory with him!

Pierre's response
Great Student, eager to learn , open-minded and dedicated to the process of learning. Looking forward to be working with you !
- Pierre's response :
  Great Student, eager to learn , open-minded and dedicated to the process of learning. Looking forward to be working with you !
Lucinda
- 5
Perfect! Pierre is a great instructor. He clearly explains concepts and how to apply them to my compositions. I feel much more skilled and confident to keep composing as I move forward with the skills I am learning. I was able top apply his advice right away. You can tell he is a dedicated educator.
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Lucinda

Perfect! Pierre is a great instructor. He clearly explains concepts and how to apply them to my compositions. I feel much more skilled and confident to keep composing as I move forward with the skills I am learning. I was able top apply his advice right away. You can tell he is a dedicated educator.

Pierre's response
Open-minded, focused, very pleasant, eager to learn, open to suggestion; a great student. Looking forward to be working with you on your music.
- Pierre's response :
  Open-minded, focused, very pleasant, eager to learn, open to suggestion; a great student. Looking forward to be working with you on your music.
Christopher
- 5
Perfect! Pierre is friendly, patient, knowledgeable and passionate about his instruction and my learning. He's planning for and teaching to exactly where I am in my skill level, and pushing me to the next step. Highly recommended!
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Christopher

Perfect! Pierre is friendly, patient, knowledgeable and passionate about his instruction and my learning. He's planning for and teaching to exactly where I am in my skill level, and pushing me to the next step. Highly recommended!

Pierre's response
Extremely attentive and rigorous student. It is a true pleasure teaching Chris composition, ear training and theory. I recommend !
- Pierre's response :
  Extremely attentive and rigorous student. It is a true pleasure teaching Chris composition, ear training and theory. I recommend !
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Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

E

Elizabeth

Pierre was a very good piano teacher for our daughter. She always looked forward to her lessons and practicing between lessons.
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E
Elizabeth
Pierre was a very good piano teacher for our daughter. She always looked forward to her lessons and practicing between lessons.
T

TRINCAT

Over the past two years I had the privilege of working alongside Pierre as he was my piano teacher, as well as composition and music theory professor. His knowledge, expertise and dedication helped me to absorb some of the most complex principle in music theory, understand composition technics and enhanced my piano skills. His pedagogical approach to teaching are built on seriousness and rigor, in the most playful and kind environment. Three of my colleagues have taken lessons with Pierre and they all loved it. I highly recommend Pierre !
Read more

T
TRINCAT
Over the past two years I had the privilege of working alongside Pierre as he was my piano teacher, as well as composition and music theory professor. His knowledge, expertise and dedication helped me to absorb some of the most complex principle in music theory, understand composition technics and enhanced my piano skills. His pedagogical approach to teaching are built on seriousness and rigor, in the most playful and kind environment. Three of my colleagues have taken lessons with Pierre and they all loved it. I highly recommend Pierre !
Adam

Pierre is amongst the most talented musicians I’ve ever met and is one of the most reliable people out there. His sensitivity to others, excellent communication skills and top-tier musical expertise in many areas (composition, piano, harmony, counterpoint and ear-training, to name a few) make him an extremely sought after teacher. He also has a lot of experience in various countries which I believe makes a huge difference for a teacher. I would definitely recommend Pierre to anyone who wants to learn anything about music, I could not think of a better teacher to be honest!!
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A
Adam
Pierre is amongst the most talented musicians I’ve ever met and is one of the most reliable people out there. His sensitivity to others, excellent communication skills and top-tier musical expertise in many areas (composition, piano, harmony, counterpoint and ear-training, to name a few) make him an extremely sought after teacher. He also has a lot of experience in various countries which I believe makes a huge difference for a teacher. I would definitely recommend Pierre to anyone who wants to learn anything about music, I could not think of a better teacher to be honest!!
A

Arnaud

I've known Pierre for 10 years. I participated in several works of his, and he always guided me well, knew what he wanted, and was very kind in his way of explaining things.
I also reached him a few times for some personal musical projects, and he'd always been open-minded, understanding and giving appropriate tools to get the music moving forward.
Read more

A
Arnaud
I've known Pierre for 10 years. I participated in several works of his, and he always guided me well, knew what he wanted, and was very kind in his way of explaining things.
I also reached him a few times for some personal musical projects, and he'd always been open-minded, understanding and giving appropriate tools to get the music moving forward.
J

Jean-Pierre

Pierre is a realy good teacher.
I meet him in San Francisco and he helped me a lot improve in playing piano.
He is brilliant and really receptive to my needs.
Read more

J
Jean-Pierre
Pierre is a realy good teacher.
I meet him in San Francisco and he helped me a lot improve in playing piano.
He is brilliant and really receptive to my needs.
L

Léa

Pierre is not only a skilled composer but also an excellent teacher. His patience and effective teaching methods make him stand out. I truly appreciate his dedication to helping his students succeed.
Read more

L
Léa
Pierre is not only a skilled composer but also an excellent teacher. His patience and effective teaching methods make him stand out. I truly appreciate his dedication to helping his students succeed.
N

Nathalie

Pierre is a great piano teacher, very kind and didactic and has an amazing knowledge of music history which he shares with passion. he worked with my 10 years old daughter for 2 years and I would recommend working with him.
Read more

N
Nathalie
Pierre is a great piano teacher, very kind and didactic and has an amazing knowledge of music history which he shares with passion. he worked with my 10 years old daughter for 2 years and I would recommend working with him.
View more recommendations

Rates

Price

Pack prices

5h: $491
10h: $981

online

$98/h

free lessons

The first lesson with Pierre will allow you to get to know each other and discuss your needs for future 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

Learn 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.

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

Lesson location

Super tutor

About Pierre

About the lesson

Review

Recommendations

Rates

Price

Pack prices

online

free lessons

Details

Pierre's Video

Learn more about Pierre

Learn more about Pierre

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

Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

What are your keys to success?

Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

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