Yamaha vs Cristofori vs Aureus: Which Music School for Your Child? (2026)

12 October 2026 · 9 min read

Ask parents in Singapore to compare Yamaha, Cristofori and Aureus and most will compare prices. The bigger difference is how each one teaches. Yamaha starts children aged 2 to 8 in groups of 5 to 10, with a parent in the room in the early years. Aureus teaches only one-to-one, from the first lesson. Cristofori sits between them: groups of two or three for under-5s, then one-to-one piano from 5.

We read each school's own fee pages, course pages, policies and branch lists on 12 October 2026, for children aged 2 to 12. Every fee here is as the school publishes it. Where a school does not publish something, this guide says so rather than guessing. Yamaha's group courses start in January, April, July and October, and its January 2027 classes are already listed, so now is the time to decide.

Start with the verdict, then the side-by-side tables, then each school in turn. For classes under 3, read our music classes for babies and toddlers guide. For community club and private teacher prices, read what piano lessons cost in Singapore.

VerdictSide by sideYamahaCristoforiAureusAlso consider MYCHow to choose

The Verdict: Which School Suits Which Child

Yamaha suits a 3 to 8-year-old who likes company. Classes of 5 to 10 children learn by listening and singing before reading, on piano or Electone, with a parent in the room until the course's final year. It is the cheapest per lesson of the three. The catch is rigid rules: missed lessons are not replaced or refunded, and groups start only four times a year.

Cristofori suits a child who already wants to play piano, and a family that wants a school nearby. It has 35 schools, small groups for 3.5 to 5-year-olds, then one-to-one piano with an exam route through RSL (Rockschool). The catch is the fine print: its fee pages add GST on top, do not say how many one-to-one lessons a term buys, and 12 of its schools are licensed and may charge differently.

Aureus suits a child who learns better alone, and a family whose week keeps changing. Every lesson is one-to-one, all books are included, and a lesson can be moved with four hours' notice. The catch is cost: $279 a month for four 30-minute lessons, the highest published lesson price of the three, with GST and the deposit not stated on its site.

None of the three is best at everything. Each section below says where that school is weaker.

Yamaha, Cristofori and Aureus Side by Side

These are the facts a parent decides with, read on 12 October 2026. Fees are for piano, which all three teach.

Ages and first programmes

Group or one-to-one, and lesson length

Fees a lesson and a term

The first class for a 3 to 5-year-old:

One-to-one piano, 45 minutes, for a beginner:

Yamaha and Cristofori do not say how many one-to-one lessons their monthly or termly fee buys, so neither can be divided. Ask before you compare.

Exams

Trials, missed lessons and refunds

To stop, Yamaha needs one calendar month's notice in writing. Neither Cristofori nor Aureus publishes a notice period or a refund rule for unused fees.

Instruments, rental and branches

Yamaha Music School

Yamaha teaches young children in groups, and the parent is part of the class. The Apple Course takes 2-year-olds. The Yamaha Primary Course starts at 3 (the Explorer class) or at 4 to 5.5, in groups of 5 to 10 for 50 minutes. Children learn each song by listening, singing, playing and then reading, on piano or Electone. A parent attends every lesson until the final year of the course, Primary 3, when children can go in alone.

From 6, children move to Pre-Junior (a 60-minute group) or the Piano Course for Children, a one-hour group whose fee is set by the exam it aims at: Yamaha Grade 13, then ABRSM Grades 1 to 3. One-to-one Yamaha Piano Course lessons start at 5.5. Guitar starts at 6 or 7, drums at 6, ukulele at 8. Violin is a teen course from 12.

Every fee includes 9% GST. The Primary Course is $534 for an 11-lesson term at weekends and $498 on weekdays ($48.55 and $45.27 a lesson); the final year is $564. One-to-one piano is $232 a month for 45 minutes at the first level, rising with each grade to $360. Registration is $60 and books are extra.

Group courses start in January, April, July and October. Yamaha's schedule already lists 20 new classes for 3 to 5-year-olds starting between 2 and 8 January 2027, at six schools.

Where Yamaha is weaker: a missed lesson is simply lost. Its FAQ says lessons are not replaced, not transferable and not refunded. To leave, you give a calendar month's notice in writing. Your child needs a piano or Electone at home during the first year. And there are only 10 Yamaha schools, plus 3 run by licensees.

Cristofori Music School

Cristofori is a piano school first, with small groups only for the youngest. I CAN PLAY takes children from 3.5 to 5 in groups of two or three on weighted-key pianos: 45 minutes for two, 60 for three. Its course page gives 44 lessons a year, in four terms of 11, at 10 schools. From 5, piano is one-to-one, from Beginner to Grade 5. Violin and guitar start at 5, drums at 6.

Fees are printed before GST, with the GST total beside them. I CAN PLAY is $620 a term off-peak ($675.80 with GST, about $61.44 a lesson) and $650 at peak hours ($708.50). One-to-one piano is $620 a term for 45 minutes at Beginner ($675.80 with GST), $820 for 60 minutes ($893.80), rising to $710 and $940 at Grade 5. Peak hours add $30 to $40.

Poppy Piano, for 4 to 7-year-olds, is sold as one package: $2,500, printed as "$2,315 + GST". It covers 44 one-to-one lessons of 30 minutes, a CDP5 digital piano listed at $999, two lesson books, the RSL Debut exam book and exam fee, and registration. It must be used within two years.

Cristofori's pathway is "Learn, Play, Examination". Exams are RSL (Rockschool London) practicals and Cristofori's own theory exam; after the three-year piano programme students "may take" RSL Grade 2. Its lesson pages do not mention ABRSM or Trinity. It also rents pianos for practice from $100 + GST a month, delivered with a bench.

Where Cristofori is weaker: the fine print is missing. The 2026 fee pages do not say how many one-to-one lessons a term holds. GST is added on top. Its January 2026 flyer marks 12 schools as licensed, where "different lesson fees and practices may apply". It publishes no make-up, refund or notice policy. Older pages promise a free trial; the 2026 pages say "Book a Trial Class" with no price.

Aureus Academy

Aureus teaches every child one-to-one, from the first lesson. Musical Adventure starts at 2.5 and runs through five Adventures: handbells and percussion first, then piano, guitar, violin and drums. Most children pick one instrument after Adventure 5, at about 4 to 5. Piano, violin, guitar and drums usually start then; voice at 4 to 6. There is no group class at any age.

Aureus charges one price by lesson length, not by grade: $279 a month for four 30-minute lessons, $399 for 45 minutes and $519 for 60 ($69.75, $99.75 and $129.75 a lesson). Books, the parent app and backing tracks are included. You can pay monthly, every six months or yearly. The teacher recommends the length at the trial; Aureus says most families choose 45 minutes.

Its rules are the most forgiving of the three. Give four hours' notice and a lesson becomes a make-up, to be used within 90 days. Studios open on most public holidays, and a closed day becomes a make-up credit. You can move to another studio, and progress records are kept for 12 months if your child takes a break.

Exams are Aureus Interactive Grades: 20 skill challenges and five recorded songs done inside normal lessons, with no separate exam day, and a certificate endorsed by the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Children who want ABRSM or Trinity can prepare for them.

Where Aureus is weaker: it costs the most and states the least. Its price page does not say whether GST is included. It mentions a deposit and an enrolment kit at registration but prints no amount. It publishes no notice period. Its own grades are not ABRSM or Trinity, so ask if a recognised board matters to you.

Also Consider: Music for Young Children

Music for Young Children (MYC) is the other group option, closer to Yamaha than to Aureus. Every level is a group class mixing singing, ear training, rhythm and keyboard, from Sunrise at 2 to My Choice at 10 to 15. MYC Singapore does not publish fees centrally. Its Orchard centre, run by Music Zoo, says beginner group lessons average about $72 a lesson including materials.

The Orchard centre asks a parent to sit in until about age 10, gives no make-up classes and does not refund fees. Other MYC centres may run differently, so ask. Book MYC Orchard on Jungle.

How to Choose

1. Group or alone? A child who copies other children and enjoys company does well in Yamaha's groups. A shy child, or one who races ahead, is better one-to-one at Aureus or at Cristofori from 5.
2. How old is your child now? Under 3.5, Cristofori has nothing yet. Yamaha starts at 2 and Aureus at 2.5.
3. What will a missed lesson cost you? If you travel or your child is often ill, Yamaha's no-replacement rule costs money. Aureus is the most forgiving. Ask Cristofori before you pay.
4. Which exam do you want? For ABRSM, choose Yamaha's piano courses or ask Aureus. Cristofori enters children for RSL.
5. What will the first year cost? Yamaha's Primary Course at weekends is $2,136 for 44 lessons, plus $60 registration and books. Cristofori's I CAN PLAY is $2,703.20 for 44 lessons off-peak, with GST. Aureus at 30 minutes is $3,348 for 48 lessons, or $4,788 at 45 minutes.

Book trials at two of the three before December. Yamaha's and Aureus's are free, and after January, Yamaha's next group intake is April. At each trial, ask five things:

• How many lessons does a term or month buy?
• Is GST included in the price you quoted?
• How much is the deposit, and when is it returned?
• How much notice do I give to stop, and is anything refunded?
• Is this branch run by the school or by a licensee, and are its fees the same?

How We Checked These

Every school here is listed on Jungle. Each was checked on its own website on 12 October 2026: fee pages, course pages, FAQs, policy pages and branch lists, and Cristofori's January 2026 Poppy Piano flyer. Fees are as each school prints them, and a lesson price is worked out only where the school states the number of lessons. Where a school publishes nothing on a point, this guide says so.

Browse piano classes on Jungle, or music classes for toddlers for under-3s.