Raya Marinova, founder

My greatest reward is seeing my students evolve into confident, polished, and expressive young artists.

Raya just recently relocated to Melbourne in April 2026, where she is rebuilding her studio after 20 years of teaching in New Zealand and California, U.S.

Recognised as one of Christchurch’s leading piano teachers, Raya is highly sought after for her exceptional ability to develop young pianists into award-winning, musically mature performers. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Raya has consistently nurtured talent from the ground up, including rehabilitating students' technique where necessary—transforming dedicated students into competition winners, scholarship recipients, and confident artists.

While Raya works with students of all abilities, Raya specialises in rehabilitating students' technique and working with gifted as well as highly motivated students. Raya offers a rigorous, tailored approach to technical development, musical expression, and artistic refinement. Her students regularly achieve top prizes in piano competitions and are frequently awarded highly competitive music scholarships, including in Australia. Raya's students consistently pass graded piano exams with distinction through to the Diploma level.

Native of Bulgaria where she began her piano studies at 5 years old, Raya holds a Bachelor in music degree (magna cum laude) from the prestigious Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where she studied under internationally renowned pianist and pedagogue Bernadene Blaha. Raya had additional studies with acclaimed pianists and teachers Antoinette Perry and Jim McCormick, and received coaching from Earl Wild, known as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century.  Raya has worked with numerous other top pianists and her pianistic lineage traces directly to Franz Liszt through several of her mentors.

An accomplished performer, Raya has appeared in numerous solo and chamber music concerts—including live broadcasts—and has performed at venues such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Zipper Hall, and Mayman Hall. She has also acted as a competition adjudicator in Los Angeles.

Since relocating to Christchurch in 2019, Raya has built a premiere studio that prioritises excellence, discipline, and artistic growth. Drawing from her own experience mastering some of the solo piano repertoire’s most challenging and monumental works, she equips students with a strong technical foundation, deep musical insight, and the confidence to perform at the highest level.

In addition to maintaining a busy private studio, Raya also taught at The Cathedral Grammar School and St Margaret's College, private schools known for their music programmes.

Raya has now moved to Melbourne where she will continue to provide rigorous music education.

Raya also holds JD and LLM degrees. She is admitted in California where she practiced in civil rights litigation prior to moving to New Zealand. Raya is also admitted in New Zealand and Victoria, Australia. Raya credits her own disciplined, rigorous piano and music studies for her achievements outside of music.

Raya also enjoys traveling and martial arts, which keep her curious and grounded.