About
Cello teacher with 13 years of professional experience. My students win auditions, get music study scholarships, get A+'s on exams.
Hi, my name is Ilona. I am new on this platform, but I am not new in teaching. I have been playing the cello for about 30 years. For more than 13 years, I have been teaching cello in a professional capacity.
I work with very different people. Children and adults, Autistic individuals, beginners and those who later successfully enter the conservatory.
My students are earning A+s on exams like the AMEB and ABRSM, they are successfully receiving music study scholarships, and are succeeding in auditions.
My adult students get more out of our lessons than just instruction on how to play the cello. They discover their own unique way of learning the cello because each of us has different goals, but we all need to love the process of learning.
My goal is to teach you or your child how to practice to get a successful result. The most important component of successful outcomes is effective practices. I will always remind you - "Play with thinking!". I will teach you how to do that.
I can promise a guaranteed visible result in 3 months with regular lessons twice per week.
If you don't see available time-slots, please send me a message and let me know your preferred time and day, and also the time-zone. I will find time for you!
My current students range in age from 8 to 68 years old and come from all over the world. Some of my students learn the cello for themselves, others for their overall development, and several students are preparing to enter music colleges and conservatories.
I teach music theory as well. From the beginning to advanced jazz harmony.
Please, do not hesitate to ask me any questions you might have.
Wishing you all the best,
Ilona
Before you begin learning the cello with me, you should understand two important concepts: when you play the cello, you use your body (arms, fingers) to create sound, and you use your soul and emotions to create music. We'll start by learning how to make sounds, which you'll later use to express your emotions.
I speak English and Ukrainian.
As an orchestral member I performed in the best concert halls in Europe. Such as: Konzerthaus Berlin (Germany), Musikverein Wien (Austria), Konserthuset Stockholm (Sweden), DR Koncerthuset (Copenhagen, Denmark), Musiikkitalo (Helsinki, Finland), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barselona, Spain), Gewandhaus zu Leipzig (Germany), Victoria Hall (Geneva, Swirzerland), Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre (Swirzerland), Queen Elisabeth Hall (Antwerpen, Belgium), Philharmonie Luxembourg, Alte Oper Frankfurt (Germany), Palais de la musique et des congrès (Strasbourg, France), Oslo Concert Hall (Norway), Tonhalle Düsseldorf (Germany), Theater und Philharmonie Essen (Germany), Konzerthaus Dortmund (Germany), Hercules Hall (Munich, Germany), etc.
I am a certified art therapist. I passed the program and successfully defended the qualification work to the program "Theory and practice of art-therapy" by UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION OF ART THERAPISTS and INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY (Ukraine) (150 academic hours; June 3,, 2023 - November 18, 2023)
I am a certified art coach. I completed the course and successfully passed the test from the advanced training program "ART-COACHING" by INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY (Ukraine) (December, 2023)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching platform “Cello and friends” – Owner, Cello Teacher, Music Theory Teacher (2021-present)
Private Cello and Music Theory Classes (2005-present)
TH School Hoa Lac (Hanoi, Vietnam) – Cello Teacher (2019-2020)
Casa dei Bambini Montessori Preschool (Hanoi, Vietnam) – Music Teacher for children 1-6 y.o. (2019-2020)
FPT University Hoa Lac Campus, Little UK Hanoi (English program) – Music and Activity Teacher (2018-2019)
The Summer Workshop for students who play string instruments Lessing-Gymnasium Neu-Ulm (Neu-Ulm, Germany) (May 2017, June 2018)
Special Music School no.1 (Zhytomyr, Ukraine) – Cello Teacher (2005 – 2007)
I've been working online since 2015.
ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCE
Sun Symphony Orchestra – Guest Musician (2018 - 2019)
K&K Philharmoniker – Assistant Principal (2nd chair) (2016 - 2018)
K&K Philharmoniker – Tutti (2011 - 2016)
Kyiv Symphony Orchestra – Tutti (2010 - 2011)
- tour on the East Coast of USA
Kyiv Fantastic Orchestra – Assistant Principal (2nd chair) (2008-2009)
- incl. tour to Spain
My teaching method is personalized to each of my students. The best it is described in my students' testimonials.
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"... I highly recommend Ilona for cello teaching. She is a talented musician and a gifted teacher, I am forever grateful and thankful that my cello teacher is Ilona. Sincerely, Toola"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"We were blessed to find Ilona as a cello teacher for our daughter. ... My daughter been taking lessons for over a year now and she learnt so much with Ilona, she even got into Gifted and Talented program for children all thanks to Ilona and her lessons. ..."
Lisa
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"Perfect! I have been thoroughly impressed and delighted by how effective it has been for Ilona to guide me remotely through my first steps as an adult learner. Her knowledge and skill on the Cello is evident, but what I didn't expect was her enthusiasm and talent for finding out my unique learning style and catering the lessons to maximum effectiveness for me. In a number of weeks I've been amazed at how she has been able to progress me from not knowing how to hold the instrument to playing with multiple positions and techniques already. ..."
Brett
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"Amazing energetic and inspirational cello class. If you want to get the fudamentals right - bow hold, posture, left hand position, elbow and shoulders etc. - Ilona is spot on."
Axel