What classes do we offer?

Alexandra Miñoza is a teacher and owner of Piano Buds in a Pod® NYC, a professional pianist, and a Steinway Teacher & Educational Partner based in New York City. She holds a Master of Music in Advanced Performance (Piano) from the Royal College of Music in London, where she studied under Professor Leon McCawley as a Polani Award Scholar. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore on a full scholarship sponsored by Singtel, studying with Professor Albert Tiu, Head of Piano Studies. Alexandra began her formal training at the Philippine High School for the Arts as a government scholar.

Piano Buds in a Pod® NYC, under Alexandra’s direction, was an activity partner at the Central Park Conservancy Playground Partners Annual Family Party in 2024 and 2025, hosted by the Central Park Women’s Committee. Founded in 1983, the Committee is a community of 1,000 women dedicated to raising funds and awareness to help keep Central Park green and beautiful.

Alexandra has extensive experience preparing students for pre-conservatory undergraduate entry, as well as examinations such as Trinity and ABRSM in Singapore and India. She is also trained in early childhood music education, including the Suzuki Piano Method. Alexandra served as a faculty member at KM College of Music & Technology in Chennai, India, founded by A.R. Rahman, where she taught in the Preparatory/Part-time Programme, conducted Keyboard Skills classes for first-year undergraduates, and worked as a piano accompanist. She also contributed to the development of the syllabus and certification for the Piano Examination, from Initial Level through Level 5, compiling an appendix of piano pieces classified by difficulty. In addition, Alexandra coordinated and conducted ensemble performances for Preparatory Programme students aged 3 to 12. She was also a member of the jury panel for the Disney (India) & Bindass Talent Search in Delhi, India. In addition, Alexandra is the owner and private teacher at Primarily Piano India in Chennai, where she teaches students from beginner to advanced pre-conservatory levels. She also organized student concerts, which were featured in local newspapers.

Alexandra’s performance experience spans across multiple cities, including New York, Singapore, London, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Manila, Cebu, Kathmandu, and Malaysia. She performed as a collaborative pianist at Carnegie Hall in 2024-2025. Her notable performances include presenting Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op. 28 at Sofar Sounds in Bangalore, The Listeners' Club in Mumbai, and at KM College of Music and Technology in Chennai. Alexandra was also part of the 118th Philippine Independence Celebration in Kathmandu and Chennai, where she performed 20th-century Filipino works. She has performed at prominent venues such as the Esplanade Concert Hall, Esplanade Recital Studio, and Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, as well as giving a solo recital at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. Alexandra made her orchestral debut at the age of nine, performing Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII/2 with the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra, sponsored by Abbott Laboratories Philippines. Alexandra currently lives in New York City.

Elif Isil Karakas is a pianist and teacher at Piano Buds in a Pod® NYC performs at major venues worldwide, touring the U.S., and many countries in Europe as a guest performer. Trained in Russian, Turkish and American piano techniques, she is the laureate of more than 20 international piano competitions. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's at Manhattan School of Music, Karakas remains active as a solo pianist. 

With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Karakas has prepared students for exams such as NYSSMA and ABRSM, entrance exams, competitions, and concerts. She has worked with students, ages 4 to adult, helping them advance their piano technique, musicality, and theory as well as gain general music knowledge and culture by approaching music from the classical repertoire. Tailoring lessons to individual goals and interests, Karakas aims to foster a lifelong love of music in her students.