Joseph Arax 

Joseph Arax, a native of Fresno, started playing the piano at the age of eight and was initially taught by his sister. After getting the hang of the keyboard, he began teaching himself using Alfred’s Basic Piano Library. Once he completed several levels, he began taking lessons from his next-door neighbor, George Warren, a music critic for the Fresno Bee. After two years of formal instruction, Warren introduced Joseph to Professor Andreas Werz, a professional pianist who teaches at Fresno State. Joseph auditioned for Professor Werz by playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. For the past 20 years, he has continued to take instruction from Professor Werz. Joseph graduated from Bullard High School in 2009 and attended Fresno State from 2009 to 2013. In 2011, he won the Fresno State Concerto Competition and performed the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with the Fresno State Symphony conducted under Thomas Loewenheim. His favorite piece of music is Franz Schubert’s D 960 sonata.

A NOTE FROM THE TEACHER:

At seven years old, I remember trying to play songs I heard on our CD player on the piano. This love of music translated to a commitment to a craft, which I believe can be achieved by any student who puts their passion forward and strives to accomplish memorization of a piece of music. I hope to give students the opportunity to refine their technique and work up to a level that they can be satisfied with.