In this episode of Piano Tech Radio Hour, host Eathan Jenney welcomes conductor, pianist, and music director Mila Henry for a wide-ranging conversation about collaborative musicianship, contemporary opera, and tech-forward keyboards. She traces her journey from a Kawai studio upright in a music-soaked Philly childhood to New York’s stages, pits, and podiums; she digs into the temperament and skills of a great collaborator; she explores hybrid acoustic-digital pianos for small apartments; and she unpacks the practicalities of conducting with click tracks for multimedia opera. She also spotlights her genre-bending band Opera Cowgirls, recent work in LA at REDCAT on Magdalene, and the Wayne Shorter/Esperanza Spalding project Iphigenia. She closes with career-building blocks, networking, learning how to say yes (and when to say no), and mentoring the next generation.

About:

Mila Henry is a New York–based conductor, pianist, and music director working across folk operas, rock musicals, and reimagined classics. She leads and coaches for organizations including American Opera Projects, Beth Morrison Projects, and Prototype; she serves as Head of Music for AOP’s Composers & the Voice program; and she develops new works as répétiteur and rehearsal pianist. Recent season highlights include conducting The Old Man and the Sea, The Merry Widow, and Magdalene, music-directing The Hunt, and performing with Brooklyn Art Song Society and counter) induction. She holds degrees from Elizabethtown College and Manhattan School of Music and performs multi-instrumentally with Opera Cowgirls.

🔗 Connect With Mila For More Info

Website: milahenry.com

Instagram: @myohmilahenry

Opera Cowgirls: operacowgirls.com

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓❗❗

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Piano Tech Radio Hour is brought to you by Piano Technicians Master. We provide cutting-edge piano technology instruction from piano industry masters without leaving your home, featuring monthly subscriptions, conventions, single live streaming, and recorded masterclasses. Learn advanced skills:

• How to tune pianos.
• How to repair pianos.
• How to rebuild pianos.
• How to service concert pianos for the finest performers in the world.

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In this episode of Piano Tech Radio Hour, host Eathan Jenney welcomes jazz pianist, saxophonist, and composer Zen Zadravec. They reflect on Zen’s journey from early piano lessons in Winnipeg to advanced studies at Rutgers with jazz legends Kenny Barron and Stanley Cowell. Zen shares insights into comping techniques, left-hand development, and rhythmic exercises that shape his playing.

They also explore his disciplined yet flexible practice routine, his relationship with acoustic pianos (including his beloved Yamaha C3), and his aspirations toward becoming a Yamaha artist. Zen discusses composition as an extension of improvisation, plays selections from his recordings, and previews material from his upcoming project, Zen: The New Paradigm.

The conversation also touches on his move from New Jersey to Detroit, the city’s rich musical history, and the importance of building strong relationships with piano technicians. With candor and humor, Zen demonstrates how daily practice, deep listening, and creative trust form the foundation of his artistry.

About:

Zen Zadravec is a Canadian-born jazz pianist and composer. A recipient of two Oscar Peterson Awards, he studied jazz at York University and earned his Master’s in Jazz Performance at Rutgers under Kenny Barron. His projects include the Zen Zadravec Quartet and Human Revolution. Zen has performed with leading jazz musicians worldwide and appeared on major shows with artists like Gloria Gaynor. His forthcoming album, Zen: The New Paradigm, features all-original compositions exploring jazz, fusion, and beyond.

Find more at zenzadravec.com or follow him on Facebook/Instagram/TikTok.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓❗❗

Subscribe to radio hour for just $16/mo and get direct access to each weeks private zoom call, as well as all the archival recordings of hundreds of episodes in our member area. Join using by visiting https://bit.ly/joinptrh

Piano Tech Radio Hour is brought to you by Piano Technicians Master. We provide cutting-edge piano technology instruction from piano industry masters without leaving your home, featuring monthly subscriptions, conventions, single live streaming, and recorded masterclasses. Learn advanced skills:

• How to tune pianos.
• How to repair pianos.
• How to rebuild pianos.
• How to service concert pianos for the finest performers in the world.

Browse more masterclasses and lectures from Piano Tuning Pros here: https://www.pianotechniciansmasterclass.com/

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In this episode of Piano Tech Radio Hour, we are joined by Chicago-based pianist, teacher, composer, and critic Myron Silberstein. We explore his musical upbringing, his studies at Juilliard and the University of Chicago, and his distinctive focus on overlooked masterpieces. Myron discusses the difference between teachers and pedagogues, the philosophy behind effective practice, and his approach to blending intellectual and intuitive processes in composition.

Myron shares some of his original works, including selections from his Impromptus, Fourth Piano Sonata, and Winter Landscapes. The conversation expands into the overlap of jazz and classical languages, the art of vocal collaboration, and Myron’s creative work influenced by Sanskrit and prayers for peace across traditions.

The episode offers both technical insights for pianists and broader reflections on creativity, practice, and cross-disciplinary inspiration.

Myron Silberstein is a pianist, teacher, vocal coach, composer, and music critic based in Chicago. He studied collaborative piano with Arlene Shrut at Juilliard and holds graduate degrees in literature and philosophy from the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought. His repertoire emphasizes neglected masterpieces, and his compositions include piano sonatas, flute sonatas, choral works, and song cycles in collaboration with poets. His recordings feature first interpretations of works by Vittorio Giannini, Peter Mennin, and Norman Lloyd, and he has appeared on labels such as Naxos and Centaur. Silberstein is also the creator of the web series Piano Unlocked.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓❗❗

Subscribe to radio hour for just $16/mo and get direct access to each weeks private zoom call, as well as all the archival recordings of hundreds of episodes in our member area. Join using by visiting https://bit.ly/joinptrh

Piano Tech Radio Hour is brought to you by Piano Technicians Master. We provide cutting-edge piano technology instruction from piano industry masters without leaving your home, featuring monthly subscriptions, conventions, single live streaming, and recorded masterclasses. Learn advanced skills:

• How to tune pianos.
• How to repair pianos.
• How to rebuild pianos.
• How to service concert pianos for the finest performers in the world.

Browse more masterclasses and lectures from Piano Tuning Pros here: https://www.pianotechniciansmasterclass.com/

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/pianotechmasterclass

Instagram - https://instagram.com/pianotechmasterclass

FB - https://www.facebook.com/pianotechmasterclass

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/piano-technicians-masterclasses/

Substack: https://pianotechniciansmasterclass.substack.com/

Twitter (X) - https://x.com/pianotechclass

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1jiIJEA9pToGft6fdfZaxu

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