Aurora

Aurora has over 4 years teaching experience from ages 2-20 in school programs at private lessons settings in Connecticut, Indiana, and the Twin Cities. She developed pianistically under Miyoko Lotto at the Manhattan School of Music and under Anat Malkin-Almani on violin. On violin, she simultaneously toured 8 countries in Europe with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra playing Mahler’s demanding and heartfelt Ninth Symphony under conductor Benjamin Zander. She is a multiple prize-winning and scholarship-recipient regionally in New England, and has been invited to several European Festivals to study under renowned pianists.

From coaching competitive pianists at prestigious summer programs, to elementary and middle school teaching, accommodating every students’ goal and learning style comes easily to her. What rewards her most is seeing students’ gain their independence and confidence at their instrument—piano or violin. She is easy to talk to, warm, kind, focused, but not elitist; she believes students are highly intelligent no matter their learning style, and it is always a gift to get to know them, giving them concrete tools to feel competent at their instrument. This includes self-sufficiency in practicing effectively (working smarter not harder), and most importantly, her students’ relationship to their self-esteem away from their instrument.

She is comfortable working with students who want to play for enjoyment, general competence at their instrument, or who are very serious and looking for a post-college track. Her most valued quality is respect and reciprocity. While she isn’t teaching, she enjoys studying Sanskrit, reading non-fiction, improvising, and singing to herself.