Lessons

My name is Alessandro Fonseca, I am a pianist and a college Professor, at the Daytona State College, in Daytona Beach, FL. I teach applied piano lessons and I am also the piano accompanist for the music school. My musical journey in the United States started because of Dr. Dossin, a fabulous pianist whom I had the pleasure to study with, during my master’s and Doctorate degrees, both in piano performance. I have studied with Dr. Dossin for 6 years. His guidance was essential in my formation as a pianist and as a pedagogue. Dr. Dossin is not only a fantastic and well accomplished pianist but equally good as a pedagogue. I still remember vividly his first lessons, and how they changed my approach on how to practice effectively, a tool which can transform any musician to achieve better and faster results.

Not only my practice strategies were changed throughout these years, but my music understanding, my interaction with the music world and my passion for it was potentialized. Dr. Dossin is a passionate instructor, and his music enthusiasm is passed on during his lessons. The environment of his studio, among all his students is a musical world where people care for one another, and one helps the other to improve. Dr. Dossin inspired all his students to improve themselves in competition facing ourselves, not the others. The result is a helpful environment where one is always trying to be better today than yesterday.

Another component of Dr. Dossin’s teaching is his incredible skill to develop technique, precision, and profound music comprehension, all in one, with every student. Throughout these years, I have not only grown myself to an unimaginable level I thought possible, but I have also witnessed my colleagues at his studio showing extraordinary growth. This is also a powerful motivational tool for students, specially when struggling. Dr. Dossin never leaves a student behind. I have seen all his studio growing musically, technically but also as better human beings.

I have studied a lot of different repertoire with him and I can never state enough on how he changed my playing, my technique and my musicality. Works like Liszt’s B minor Sonata, at the end of my journey with him, on my last year as a doctoral student, are memories that I will share with students and friends for my whole life. Early lessons at the beginning of my journey with him, with Beethoven’s last Sonata, were lessons that I still carry memories (and notes on my scores) that pushed me to the next level.

No less important, is Dr. Dossin personal ethics, care for every student and his kind heart and soul. He is not only a great pianist and pedagogue, but a human being ready to serve with his knowledge and passion. He is an inspiring artist and human, that pushes all his students to their best in all capacities. I had the privilege and honor of being his student for so long and I am extremely grateful for these transformative years in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am now, as a pianist, a person and a college professor, if I hadn’t been a student of Dr. Dossin. If you are considering studying with him, please, do so! It will be a challenging but extraordinary journey!

My best regards,
Dr. Alessandro Fonseca

Faculty, Daytona State College

Studying under guidance of Professor Dossin was one of the best professional experiences I had during my carrier. Professor Dossin helped me a lot with approach to tone/color mastery, stylistic authenticity, and virtuosity. Lessons with Professor Dossin were always a positive experience with perfect balance of seriousness and humor. Those lessons never were a “do like me” type of instructions, but gave me freedom to interpret my own ideas with feedback that made them more convincing and effective.

In addition to piano lessons, Dr. Dossin was extremely helpful with my academic reality. Guiding me through my Doctoral Thesis, and supporting me through the struggles that I came across as a student.

Alexandre Dossin is a very warm and sensitive person and I am extremely lucky to have him not only as my professor, but also as a friend!

Arsen Gulua

Faculty, Willamette University

I had the wonderful opportunity to study with Dr. Alexandre Dossin during my undergraduate and master’s degree programs at the University of Oregon between 2018 and 2024. I came into his studio as quite an unpolished pianist, who still had quite a lot to learn about music, piano technique, artistic decision-making, philosophy, the business and reality of a career musician, and life experience in general. Nevertheless, he encouraged my study and believed in me at a time when few did. I learned a great deal about all of these things as a direct result of his lessons, and over the years I’ve found work and success as a musician because of it. He knew the right times and ways to push me to greater heights and refinement as a pianist, as well as encouraging me to broaden my skills into music composition, a field in which I’ve lately found even more success. None of these things would have happened without his encouragement, advice, and well-meant criticism, all of which fill perfectly the role that any teacher should have. Dr. Dossin’s lessons have shaped so much about my views of music, many of which I now seek to pass on to piano students of my own, as well as in my composition practices and philosophies. Any student with a solid foundation in musicianship and technique will find great success with Dr. Dossin, and his ear for quality will guarantee any motivated student to eventually find professional music success in some capacity. However, he is also able to think outside the box and help struggling students to find their voice through patience and perseverance, and both are qualities that I see less often, even among accomplished teachers of the highest caliber – and they speak to his character and personal investment in his students. I am proud to have been a member of the Dossin Piano Studio during my time at the University of Oregon, and I would not trade it for anything in the world!

Steven James, M.M.

Dr. Dossin is an excellent teacher with high standards. His love of the piano and of music inspired me and made me eager to learn and progress in my studies. He helped me achieve musical excellence. He was specific with ways that would advance my technical issues while also helping me explore the musical expression and finding the meaning behind every note of a piece. He offered clear practice goals and musical ideas to explore and contemplate, all while also helping build my repertoire. He is encouraging and made me want to practice to excel, while also instilling in me a lifelong love of learning and especially, a love of the piano.

Crystal Zimmerman

Faculty, Willamette University

I am really grateful for the opportunity that I had to study with Dr. Alexandre Dossin at the University of Oregon for four years. Dr. Dossin is an outstanding piano professor and a caring person. I have learned a lot about playing and teaching under his guidance. One of my most cherished memories is learning pieces by F. Liszt, where Dr. Dossin taught me how to connect motion and emotion, impacting my way of playing and my knowledge of music. Thanks to his advice, I was able to reach a new level of understanding and performance, making a huge impact on my career. Nowadays, I apply many things I learned during these wonderful years in my daily practice, and I try to teach them as a professor myself. Also, Dr. Dossin supports his students by providing them with many professional opportunities and recommendations that are so valuable. I highly recommend studying with Dr. Dossin if you have the opportunity.

Marina Bengoa 

Faculty, Southern Arkansas University