Obituaries : Sheldon (Teddy) Steinberg; Piano Teacher

Sheldon (Teddy) Steinberg, 64, a popular Southern California classical piano teacher who specialized in teaching other piano teachers. He performed widely as a concert pianist in his youth, but later opted for what he described as “a reasonable compromise--teaching and performing.” Born in Cleveland, Steinberg studied piano from an early age with private teachers and at the Cleveland Conservatory of Music. He moved to Hollywood with his widowed mother when he was 15 and continued his music education at Hollywood High School, UCLA and USC. A composer as well as a pianist, Steinberg organized many piano competitions for the Music Teachers Assn. of California. Over the years, the largest number of his continuing students were piano teachers from throughout Southern California. Steinberg was particularly known among his friends for his talents in gardening and cooking. On Oct. 12 in Brentwood.