Aside my work as a composer, I spend the lion’s share of my time teaching—which to me is my most important contribution. The sort of teaching I engage in is squarely in the de-scriptive model in that I follow students where they are.  Composition first, theory second. Which means I see composers who write in all styles and help them do exactly that, improve their technique and seek to find their own voice from lesson one.

I have been a private teacher of music composition for over two decades, having held positions at the Juilliard School (in the Pre-College, Extension Division, Music Advancement Program, and the Juilliard Summer School) the New York Philharmonic (lead teaching artist for the Very Young Composer’s Program and Composer’s Bridge); formerly at the Curtis Institute, New York City College, The Walden School, Usdan, the New England Conservatory, and Harvard University.

My students range in age from 6 to 81, and in the work I have done with younger people, the composers I have taught privately have gone on to schools like Yale, Juilliard, Harvard, Oberlin, Columbia, Mannes/New School, Princeton, University of Michigan, Indiana University, Northwestern, and UCLA, among others.

I also have a studio of private students who meet with me on zoom from a wide swathe of states and countries.

If you are interested in lessons, rates, further information, please contact me at dfelsen [@] mac.com