I have known Rossitza Kennedy (nee Djangozova) for more than three years as a piano accompanist for me in my learning to play the tenor saxophone. She has successfully accompanied me for five Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB) examinations from grades 2 to 6 and accompanied me in two public performance recitals. She has also taught me some initial piano lessons. I am a mature aged student who has previously played clarinet and always wanted to play saxophone and she has simnifically helped me to realize these long held personal aspirations.

Rossi is an outstanding pianist with very high qualifications from her native Bulgaria and a Masters degree in Music from the Australian University of NSW, based in Sydney. Rossitza was taught piano in Bulgaria where musicians gain their recognition largely by the highly disciplined public performance of learner music, which has given her great performance skills. She prepares thoroughly by carefully analyzing the structure, sequences and harmonies of the music to be played and then by meticulously mastering each section, with increasing tempo and dynamics. As a result, Rossitza is a highly disciplined and competent performer who performs flawlessly in public recitals with great personal controls, style and enjoyment. In her accompaniment ant teaching, she always offers supportive and encouraging advice to improve the student's performance.

Her approach is to ensure that the student has mastered each incremental musical step fully, before progressing to higher levels of difficulty. She has extremely high standards in her professionalism and a wonderful ability to teach student and adults of all ages. In particular she has taught students from ages four upwards and always capture a wonderful sense of fun and enjoyment in her lessons while providing supportive and encouraging feedback to the learner. In short, she displays a great passion for teaching young children in particular to play the piano. Her knowledge and understanding of the important theory of music is equally high. Rossitza's bright and positive interpersonal skills and her ability to express herself in English enable her to communicate easily with her students and their parents.

Overall she is a very confident and where necessary, an appropriately assertive person, who is clearly focused on achieving the desired outcomes in whatever situation. In my professional role I am the equivalent of an American Superintendent of Schools and have a deep understanding of all aspects of teaching and learning. However I am not permitted to provide professional references for anyone in that capacity. So I am providing this reference simply in my personal capacity as a mature aged male student of music of 68 years of age.

In summary, I whole heartedly recommend Rossitza as a teacher of piano to children and adults of all ages. I am confident that through her high level of musical skills, personal diligence and understandings of the needs of learners that she will provide you with an outstanding level of service. I would certainly continue to employ her as a piano accompanist if she were to return to Australia as I really miss her contributions to my own further musical education.