Timothy Mah has been a member of the Music Institute’s piano faculty since July 2025. He earned his bachelor of music and master of music degrees at Northwestern University. He has collaborated with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Canadian Brass. He has appeared as soloist with several Chicago-area orchestras, has been featured on both WFMT 98.7 FM radio and at Millennium Park in Chicago, has had professional affiliations with the Illinois Music Education Association, the Northern Illinois Music Conference, and the Youth Chorus of the North Shore, and he previously held teaching positions at DePaul University, the College of Lake County, Glenbrook North and South High Schools, New Trier High School, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and North Shore Country Day School. Additionally, He has taught at numerous music festivals across the country, among them the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival & Institute (Oneonta, NY), Illinois Summer Youth Music (University of Illinois), the National High School Music Institute (Northwestern University), and the Interlochen Center for the Arts (Interlochen, MI). He previously was the Music Institute’s Evanston Campus Director.
MM and BM, Northwestern University
As a piano teacher, my goal is not only to teach music, but also to teach through music - lifelong skills such as patience, discipline, and perseverance that I hope my students will carry with them, regardless of their future pursuits.
Additionally, I have an extensive background in both string performance and teaching, as well as vocal directing and accompanying, and I enjoy coaching and accompanying instrumental and vocal students on an individual basis.
Outside of music, I am an avid runner (having completed the Chicago Marathon twice and hoping to do it again one day), a frequent moviegoer (my favorite genres are crime dramas and horror), and an Asian food connoisseur (the spicier the better!).
My most memorable musical moment was my first performance as pianist with the DePaul Trio, featuring Samuel Magad on violin and Stephen Balderston on cello (both retired members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra). We performed the Mendelssohn D Minor and Brahms B Major trios, and having the opportunity to play these amazing pieces with such incredible musicians and human beings was quite humbling and unforgettable.
As for the piano as an instrument, I am constantly in awe of its versatility across numerous musical genres - no matter who is playing it, whether it's Evgeny Kissin, Billy Joel, Olivia Rodrigo, or Marcus Roberts (all piano artists whom I love), the piano has an incredible ability to tell all kinds of different and amazing musical stories using the same 88 black and white keys.
I have absolute pitch, so I can hear all of the notes my students play, both correct and incorrect ones.