Ory is an award-winning pianist, renowned pedagogue and an expert in talent development. His students have garnered impressive credentials as winners of top prizes in prestigious international competitions and are regularly accepted to top conservatories and universities such as Curtis, Juilliard, NEC, Yale, Peabody, Eastman, Royal Academy of Music (UK) and more. Ory studied at the Curtis Institute of Music at age 15 and later graduated from The Juilliard School. 

His teaching philosophy has transformed the playing of hundreds of students over the course of his 25-year teaching career, making him one of the most sought-after and well-respected piano teachers in the world.

But it didn’t start out this way…

After a rapid succession of events during his teens, which included studies at the Curtis Institute, winning the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the coveted Gina Bachauer prize while a student at Juilliard, Ory’s career as a pianist was taking off at a rapid pace.

He soon found himself in the midst of a whirlwind of major concert debuts, solo and orchestral tours, recordings and ultimately representation by one of the world’s most prestigious classical artist agencies at that time, Columbia Artists Management (CAMI).

However, Ory’s rapid early success proved consequential as it made him feel overconfident, thus resistant to constructive criticism. This, coupled with having to return to his homeland in order to complete its mandatory military service, brought Ory’s career to a halt.

Upon his return to the US from his military service, Ory found himself in financial distress and spent several years working odd jobs in order to survive (busboy, waiter, furniture mover, etc.) while practicing at nights in an effort to reinvent himself as a pianist.

During this humbling experience, the conscious and at times painful process of analyzing his own playing led him to become a much improved pianist and a more resilient person.

As result, Ory resurrected his playing career, which led to winning the Washington International Piano Competition as well as a major prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Master Piano Competition.

Ory accredits his early struggles as instrumental in making him a highly effective and compassionate teacher and mentor to young pianists and piano teachers around the world.

Ory lives in Los Angeles, California, where he pursues his passions for synthesizers, cars and coffee. He lives with his wife, Maria, and their cat, Fester.

Ory Shihor is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning pianist and renowned master teacher who has spent the last 25 years helping young gifted pianists develop their musical talent to its fullest potential.

He has helped countless students ace their college auditions and get accepted into the world’s top music conservatories and universities, such as The Juilliard School and Yale University.

To date, his students have received over $3 million in scholarship offers, performing on the world’s premiere stages and winning top prizes in prestigious piano competitions.

A graduate of Juilliard and Curtis, Mr. Shihor is a frequent speaker and master class teacher at major conservatories and universities around the globe such as the Beijing and Shanghai Conservatories, Seoul National University, Taiwan National Normal University, Northwestern University, San Francisco Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and the Royal Northern College of Music.

For over a decade, he served as piano professor at the Colburn Conservatory and as founding dean of its pre-college academy for highly gifted young musicians.

After a 20-year teaching career in higher education, Mr. Shihor co-founded the Ory Shihor Institute (OSI) together with his wife, Maria Liu, where he continues to teach young gifted pianists and train a new generation of piano teachers using his proven teaching approach.

Ory Shihor is a Bösendorfer and Yamaha artist.

1st Prize Winner, Young Concert Artists International Auditions

Prize Winner, Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition

1st Prize, Washington International Piano Competition

1st Prize Winner, Gina Bachauer Prize, Juilliard

President & Master Teacher, Ory Shihor Institute (2015-present)

Piano Professor, Colburn Conservatory (2008-2019)

Dean & Founder, Colburn Music Academy (2010-2017)

Director, Colburn Academy Piano Festival (2011-2017)

Academic Faculty, Colburn Conservatory (2004-2015)

Piano Faculty & Piano Department Co-Chair, Colburn School of Performing Arts (2000-2014)

Curtis Institute of Music

BM, Juilliard School

MM, University of Southern California

2022 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC Irvine Branch):

Pedagogy Lecture: “The Why, When and How of Pedaling - A historical and practical perspective on pedaling for intermediate repertoire and beyond.”

2022 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC San Francisco Branch): Masterclass with Ory Shihor featuring students from the San Francisco Branch

2021 National Conference of Keyboard and Pedagogy (NCKP):

Pedagogy Lecture: “Beliefs & Misconceptions: Repertoire Choices and Their Impact on Musical Development.”

2020 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) State Convention:

Masterclass with Ory Shihor featuring Certificate of Merit (CM) Panel Young Artists

Pedagogy Lecture: “How to Keep Students Engaged and Bring Out Their Hidden Musical Potential.”

Pedagogy Lecture: “Online vs. In-Person Learning and How it Affects Teaching Approaches.”

2020 Steinway Teacher and Education Partner Program (STEP):

Beethoven Masterclass with Ory Shihor featuring an advanced student

2020 The Wallis Performing Arts Center:

Masterclass with Ory Shihor featuring Students from Grow @ The Wallis Community Outreach Project

2019 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Convention - Featured Artist:

Masterclass with Ory Shihor featuring Certificate of Merit (CM) Panel Young Artists

Pedagogy Lecture: “Preparing Piano Students to Ace Their Audition.”

Lecture (Student Track): “Acing Piano Auditions and get accepted to top-choice music colleges”

2024, 1st prize winner, 32nd U.S. Open Music Competition (Showcase Piano Solo)

2024, 2nd prize winner, 32nd U.S. Open Music Competition (Showcase Piano Solo)

2024, 1st place winner, California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Honors Competition

2023, 1st prize winner, Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) Piano Solo Competition - State Finals

2023, 2nd prize winner (1500 €), 30th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth in Szafarnia, Poland

2023, 1st prize winner, Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) Piano Solo Competition - Southern Regional

2023, 1st prize winner, Hartford Chopin Competition

2023, Outstanding Gold Medalist Award, 31st U.S. Open Music Competition

2023, 1st prize winner, U.S. Open Piano Competition (Showcase Piano Solo)

2022, award winner, YoungArts National Arts Competition

2019, 1st prize winner, Steinway Junior Piano Competition

2019, 2nd prize winner, Steinway Junior Piano Competition

2019, 3rd prize winner, Steinway Junior Piano Competition

2018, 1st prize winner, YoungArts National Foundation Competition

2018, 2nd prize winner, Los Angeles International Liszt Competition

2018, Young Scholar, Lang Lang International Music Foundation (Class of 2018-2020)

2017, 1st prize winner, Walter W. Naumburg International Piano Competition

2017, 1st prize winner, Hilton Head International Piano Competition

2017, finalist, Montreal International Piano Competition

2016, winner, Aspen Music Festival Piano Concerto Competition

2016, medalist prize winner, Hilton Head International Piano Competition

2015, 1st prize winner, Virginia Waring International Piano Competition

2015, semi-finalist, Paloma O’shea Santander International Piano Competition

2014, winner of Davidson Fellow Laureate (USD$50,000) Scholarship

2013, 2nd prize winner, Bosendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition

2013, Young Artist Piano Prize, Mondavi Young Artist Competition

2012, winner, Concurs International Long Thibaud Crespin

2012, 3rd prize winner, Piano Campus International Piano Competition

2012, semi-finalist, Paloma O’shea Santander International Piano Competition

Numerous students were selected to be featured on NPR’s From The Top and awarded Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships

Music School Acceptances (please note this is not an exhaustive list):

CLASS OF 2026:

The Juilliard School (BM)

Oberlin Conservatory of Music (BM)

The John Hopkins Peabody Institute of Music (BM)

Manhattan School of Music (BM)

San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BM)

Emory University Department of Music (BA)

CLASS OF 2024:

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (MM)

New England Conservatory (BM)

Royal Academy of Music in UK (BM)

The John Hopkins Peabody Institute of Music (BM)

Mannes School of Music (BM)

Boston University School of Music (MM)

Manhattan School of Music (BM, MM)

Lynn University Conservatory of Music (MM)

San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BM, MM)

CLASS OF 2022:

The Juilliard School (2 BM)

Curtis Institute of Music (BM)

Royal Academy of Music in UK (BM)

New England Conservatory (BM)

Eastman School of Music (BM)

The John Hopkins Peabody Institute of Music (BM)

Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BM)

University of Southern California (BM)

San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BM)

CLASS OF 2021:

San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BM)

University of Miami Frost School of Music (BM)

CLASS OF 2020:

The Juilliard School (MM)

Yale School of Music (MM)

CLASS OF 2019:

The Juilliard School (BM)

The John Hopkins Peabody Institute of Music (BM)

CLASS OF 2017:

The Juilliard School (BM, AD)

Manhattan School of Music (MM)

CLASS OF 2016:

Royal Academy of Music in UK (BM)

Cleveland Institute of Music (BM)

CLASS OF 2015:

Northwestern University (DMA)

CLASS OF 2014:

Manhattan School of Music (MM)