Reviews
Kind words from the practice room.
From first squeaks to first concerts.
“I am learning so much deep knowledge. This is my prefered learning style as it gives me a strong foundation. IIona is an excellent teacher that will curate lessons based on your individual learning style.”
“Patience, knowledge, empathy, adaptability and clear communication - proficiency.”
“Perfect! Being a mature adult student with a bundle of nerves, Ilona was so good at calming me down with such an assuring and warm demeanour. I reckon I have found a perfect teacher for a long-lasting journey with the cello.”
“Ilona is working with my 8th grader teen who doesn't always find teachers favorable, but she earned his approval from the very start. After the first lesson, he said, "That was actually helpful." After only a few lessons, I can see a consistent pattern. She is responsive, prompt, and deeply invested in the growth of her students.”
“Ilona meets you where you are and is very patient. Ilona also helps tremendously with technique”
“Ilona is extremely well-trained and highly knowledgeable in a wide range of pedagogical techniques. She has an excellent understanding of hand anatomy, the entire playing apparatus, and posture.”
“I'm so grateful to have Ilona as my cello instructor! Her expertise on the cello is truly impressive. What sets her apart is her incredible patience, kindness, and thoroughness in teaching. She takes the time to explain things clearly and provides feedback that's both constructive and encouraging. She works with me and my playing style to pinpoint exactly the right bowing and fingering techniques to bring out the sound and style I'm aiming for. She helps me improve by working through new challenges, which expands my skillset and helps me apply new techniques to other music. She is well-versed in music theory, and not only knows the "how" but also the "why" and can teach the verbiage. She's quite responsive and always gets back to me quickly, which is a huge help. Beyond her technical knowledge, it's her genuine care and support for her students that keeps me looking forward to each lesson. She truly wants to see her students succeed, and her enthusiasm is contagious. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to improve their skills, whether they are a beginner or intermediate player.”
“Perfect! Ilona engaged my daughter in her lesson and was able to help her with her positioning and some basic cello to practice in a very short time.”
“Ilona has a superb teaching style and an amazing ability to know exactly what's needed in the moment. You will definitely love having a lesson with this most gifted and comprehensive instructor!”
“Whatever you ask, Ilona delivers! You want to improve intonation? Here are all the places where you were (even very slightly ;) ) off. You want to improve musicality? Here is where your phrasing is unclear. Your hand hurts when you play a part? Let's try different things and see why. Etc., etc., etc. Always ready to answer, support, experiment, to make you sound better than you could have imagined :).”
“Great teacher to learn from! Explained everything clearly and to the point!”
“Great teacher to work with, easy to understand and very helpful.”
“Perfect! She is so patient and explains very clearly!”
“Ilona is a pleasure to learn from. We covered a lot in the first class. I look forward to working with her in the future.”
“Reading through a new piece! Ilona always encourages me to try to figure things out myself, and then shows me different fingering options, we discuss pros and cons, and choose what works for me. I am gaining a lot of confidence this way :).”
“Every lesson is a gem - if I know what I struggle with something, Ilona will find a way to help me figure out how to improve it, if I don't know what I could work on, she will give me advice.”
“Ilona has been a wonderful teacher for my daughter, who is on the autism spectrum. She now counts down the days until her cello lessons something I never expected to see. Ilona’s calm, structured approach creates a space where my daughter feels truly safe and understood. We’re so grateful for the joy and confidence these lessons have brought into her life.”
“This is a belated review. I’ve been learning how to play the cello and develop my skills under Ilona’s guidance for some time now. I find her motivating, understanding and very helpful in assisting me to advance with each lesson. I feel fortunate to be Ilona’s student and am looking forward to improving my skills in technique and musicality further with her invaluable support and guidance.”
“Perfect! Knowledgeable, experienced and patient tutor!”
“Every time I start losing my motivation to practice and to improve Ilona finds a way to rekindle my love for perfecting the craft. Thank you! :)”
“Always a great lesson!”
“Great teacher! Thank you for the lesson!”
“Great teacher! Thank you!”
“Perfect! FOr my preliminary class she was very encouraging, insightful and a good listener”
“Very informative and learned so much.”
“I love those sessions when I just don't know what I could still improve, what to ask about, what to work on, and somehow Ilona always finds something, a new perspective that I can take on my piece, which ends up adding unexpected magic! :)”
“We did some final touches for my upcoming performance. It was great to be heard and to get some advice on what can still be improved in the short time remaining, and how to do it :).”
“As always, I feel my understanding of cello and my abilities growing with each class :)”
“Perfect! Ilona was very friendly and welcoming in our first lesson. She quickly put me at ease and I am very much looking forward to continuing lessons with her. Thank you :)”
“Ilona has been a great help to me in advancing my cello playing. As an adult player, I came to her with many questions and personal goals. She has been eager and very able to help with both. She is very insightful as to how to improve my technique.”
“Ilona is an amazing teacher, always finding answers to my questions and ways to help me improve. She is patient, compassionate, and passionate. It's been 4 years since we started working together and I cannot imagine my life without her anymore :).”
“Ilona is a very kind and friendly person. As an adult cello learner, I couldn't imagine a better teacher. She explained in detail about my body posture, and I managed to play a song. I am looking forward for the next class!”
“Ilona is my music theory teacher since 2020 and before it, I only knew that the music scale has 7 notes :)) Now I'm a sophomore at a music college, and Ilona keeps helping me throughout the way learning music theory, harmony, and the basics of songwriting. Ilona is a versatile teacher with a classical education, and her unorthodox approach to teaching helped me a lot.”
“We were blessed to find Ilona as a cello teacher for our daughter. Ilona's enthusiasm and passion for teaching are clear from the first lesson. My daughter has been learning with her for over a year and even got into the Gifted and Talented program, thanks to Ilona's amazing teaching. Highly recommended!”
“Perfect! I initially was hesitant to get an online teacher instead of an in-person one but Ilona’s experience and background seemed impressive. The trial class confirmed all of this and I now have regular classes with her. She’s supportive, positive and work well with an adult learner. I learn a lot during our sessions and her approach to incremental learning helps me to not feel overwhelmed with the skills required to play the cello.”
“I have been taking lessons from Ilona for three years and seen tremendous improvement. I started as an adult beginner, and Ilona's patience and understanding helped me develop strong technique and a good practice routine. Thanks to her support, I can now play a variety of pieces and perform with confidence.”
“Perfect! Ilona is a very professional and patient teacher. My daughter is already learning with her more than 6 month. We keep twice lessons every week. It's very helpful for a young cello player.”
“My first lesson with Ilona was wonderful. Learning the cello is going to be challenging but Ilona was able to pick up on my posture and small sounds over the internet in order to assure I had the correct position for fingers, shoulders, and elbows. Really enjoyed her expertise. I will be booking more lessons.”
“Ilona has been an incredible guide through my first steps as an adult learner. Her skill and enthusiasm are matched by her ability to adapt lessons to my learning style. In a few weeks, I've gone from not knowing how to hold the instrument to playing with multiple positions and techniques. Highly recommend!”
“Perfect! Ilona is patient and very attentive to detail . She makes each lesson productive and fun at the same time. My daughter looks forward to each class .”
“Amazing energetic and inspirational cello class. If you want to get the fundamentals right — bow hold, posture, left hand position, elbow and shoulders etc. — Ilona is spot on.”
“Ilona is such awesome, responsible, knowledgeable teacher of cello, she give my son lots of support in learning cello, my son enjoyed learning and practicing cello with Ilona every week.”
“Perfect! Pinpointed the details or technics I need to focus on from a student's point of view, very understanding and friendly. Couldn't expect more. :)”
“Ilona has been very helpful in her feedback to my playing. She has been patient to answer all of my questions and help me focus on practicing correctly.”
“I have great experience learning cello with Ilona from the very basics. She is very inspiring, motivating and understanding tutor. I'm always going into the lesson in a good mood, because I know the lesson will be fun and easy. I'm also very grateful that Ilona also adjusted to my learning needs, and we can work on modern songs I like.”
“Perfect! Ilona has been a great teacher. She is tailoring the experience to me and my own goals, and works with any limitations I currently have and provides alternative to help me as I build up my skills and muscles.”
“Amazing and very kind! Can't wait for the next lesson”
“My first lesson with Ilona changed my mind about online lessons. By week two, I had prepaid for several lessons, and by lesson 3, I was sight-reading music! Her deep knowledge of cello, music theory, and performance, paired with her dedication, makes learning a pleasure. If you haven't already; do give Ilona a shot — You will not be disappointed.”
“Perfect! Friendly, encouraging and professional”
“My first online cello lesson with Ilona was amazing! She is such a friendly, encouraging, and professional musician and teacher. I feel so lucky to have found her among the whole internet's teachers. As an adult learner, I was not sure where cello learning was going to take me. I just thought I would give it a try. After my first online lesson, I feel much more confident about learning the cello.”
“Illona has been a wonderful help to me in my cello playing for a year now. I'm an adult student who has played for several years, and Ilona has been a great help in advancing my skills, whether bowing, shifting, vibrato, musicianship... whether solo or orchestral pieces, she has had the eye and ear to take my skills to the next level, with motivation and inspiration.”
“Ilona is kind, understanding, helpful, patient and engaging. Lessons with her feel natural and my 10-year old son is looking forward to every lesson. She is a fantastic teacher and always gives 100% herself. She knows how to get the very best out of her student. I would recommend Ilona without hesitation to anyone seeking cello lessons!”
“Ilona has been my teacher since last summer, and I've grown immensely in both cello and music. She always knows why I struggle with certain things and works through them until I can play with ease. I highly recommend her for both hobbyists and those serious about the cello!”
“Great class”
“Ilona is friendly and professional. I got good value for my first lesson and look forward to the next ones.”
“Ilona makes learning online effective and helpful and not difficult at all. She is always very supportive, flexible, and dedicated to helping me improve. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to take lessons with her!”
“I have been taking cello lessons from Ilona for the past three years, and I have seen tremendous improvement in my playing. When I started cello lessons, with Ilona, I was an adult beginner with no prior experience playing the cello. Ilona has patience and understanding, and she takes the time to teach me the basics of cello playing until I reached the advance level. She also helps me to develop a good practice routine, and she’s always available to answer my questions. Over the past three years, I have made significant progress in my cello playing. I am now able to play a variety of pieces, and I have even performed at friends and family gatherings. I am confident this progress wouldn’t have been possible without Ilona's unique instructions. In addition to her teaching skills, Ilona is also a great musician. She is passionate about music, and she loves to share her knowledge and experience with her students. She is also a very supportive and encouraging teacher, always making me feel like I can achieve my goals. 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”
“My first online lesson with Ilona was brilliant! Warm, friendly, yet highly professional, she was perceptive and detailed. All my concerns were replaced with confidence-building advice. I'm excited about learning a new instrument and look forward to a strong, productive journey ahead.”
“Ilona is an amazing teacher and I am a very lucky student for having her as my tutor!”
“Ilona is very helpful, friendly in preparing my piece of music and attention to details in my posture, correcting where I need, sharing tips. I am happy with my progress. Looking forward to learning more skills, techniques and fun.”
“Really enjoyed my first lesson and felt like we covered a lot!”
“Ilona is an excellent teacher with individual approach to any subject depending on your specific aims. Each class with her brings new skills and ideas. Besides the teaching process Ilona has been doing lot of mentoring, motivating and guiding carefully through the difficulties which might appear on a musical path. If there’s a question Ilona has an answer and that’s awesome.”
“Great teacher”
“Ilona is amazing, she makes me want to just keep on playing all the time. Even if it means doing very, very boring exercises — thanks to her I know very well how to realise I am making progress, which is my number 1 motivator. I couldn't imagine a better teacher for me!”
“I've been learning with Ilona for nearly a year. I started for fun but now aim to study in a conservatory, and Ilona is helping me prepare for the entrance exam. Her professional experience, patience, and detailed advice have influenced my life choices and opened new doors in music. Highly recommended!”