Vladimir's TestimonialsWhen my son started taking piano lessons from Mr. Vladimir Kramarchuk, I was impressed as to how quickly he improved in becoming a better piano player. Over the years, the pieces that my son was learning with Mr. Kramarchuk became more and more complex, and yet my son learned them so well that he was starting to win competitions. The techniques that Mr. Kramarchuk taught to my son really helped him in achieving his goals. What I like about the way Mr. Kramarchuk teaches is that he approaches every one of his students in their own, individual way. He encouraged all of them to set higher standards in their piano playing. I would definitely recommend Mr. Kramarchuk to every who wants the same results that I had gotten.
Parent, Carmen Liana Poeana, Corvales, OR In the one year I have studied under Vladimir Kramarchuk, I feel I progressed the equivalent of six. Not only has my technique improved immensely, but also my sense of freedom and enjoyment when I play. Perhaps this is because of Vladimir's paramount advice: "Always have joy when you play." I have done my best to apply this advice, and it has helped me gain a better perspective on how to move closer to my goal of perfection while still retaining my love and joy of music. This wisdom, as well as his vast knowledge of piano reportoire and the composers behind it, has been and will be a great influence on my musical career. I am extremely grateful to have had a teacher who could help me progress this remarkably. Student, Andrew Larsen, Hillsboro, OR I started learning piano as an adult and Vladimir Kramarchuk has been my teacher for most of that time. I recommend him highly as a teacher, under his guidance I have been able to advance to a point where I have over an hour of repertoire, mostly ragtime. Last year I performed that repertoire as background music at a dinner for 100 people hosted by a non-profit organization. Vladimir is an excellent musician who can perform in any style from classical to jazz and his positive outlook is infectious. Student, Chris Goldthorp, Portland, OR I have been taken piano lesson with Vladimir Kramarchuk for several years now, and all I can say is that he is an exceptional teacher. He loves what he does and he puts his whole heart into making his students the best they can possibly be. Naturally, as a professional pianist and vocalist himself, he has high expectations are for each and every one of his students. Those high expectations are what makes his student successful pianists. I have taken lessons from two other piano teachers before I started with Vladimir and I have progressed farther with him than I had with both previous teachers combined. I cannot imagine taking lessons from any other teacher, he truly is the best. Student, Kristina Rotar, Vancouver, WA My children have taken piano lessons from Mr. Kramarchuk for 3 years, and we have really enjoyed the lessons and recitals. Also, their playing has improved greatly. I would highly recommend Mr. Kramarchuk, as a piano teacher. Parent, Kathy Parish, Hillsboro, OR Vladimir and Luiza were recommended to me by another piano teacher, and have turned out to be amazing. My son started piano rather late, at age 14, and another teacher was taking him very slowly through beginner books. After an initial visit to determine his level, Vladimir started him on classical music immediately, and in two and a half years, his piano skills have become truly breathtaking. Vladimir is gentle and kind, and uses praise and constructive criticism. At the same time, he is passionate and serious about the music, and has passed that interest on to my son. Vladimir has searched out piano festival opportunities for my son in the Portland area, and holds regular formal recitals with the students from his studio. Vladimir and Luiza immigrated from Moldova (one of republic of former USSR), where they taught and performed music, and they have been all over the world. Their English is excellent. Luiza also teaches, and is a pleasant and gracious person. They are close to Century High School in Hillsboro. Parent, Mary Sylwester, Aloha, OR Vladimir is a man of excellence, both in his musical skills and his character as a person. I have known him and his family for 9 years, and I continue to be impressed with his many talents and gentle, caring spirit. Whether he is serving on our church's worship team, teaching lessons, supporting his daughter (who is also quite accomplished), or tuning pianos, Vladimir is reliable, trustworthy, and always goes the extra mile to make sure each endeavor is approached with excellence. Our piano has never sounded so good as when he tuned it … his creativity and attention to detail in performances is stellar, and I see a caring attitude towards his family and students. I give Vladimir my highest recommendation. Brent Mills Music Director & Worship Pastor, Beaverton Foursquare Church Bmills@beavertonfoursquare.org |
Luiza's TestimonialsWhen we started piano lessons for our kids, we were simply looking at it as an exercise in music literacy. The children enjoyed impressing us with the early pieces and recitals. As the degree of difficulty increased, we faced the invariable dilemma. Do we simply encourage and let them play as much as they enjoy? Or do we set expectations regarding serious practice?
As an experienced music teacher, Luiza stressed the importance of practice. She takes the time to train on correct posture, positioning and movements, which earns long term dividends when it comes to ability and confidence. With her guidance, our children have learned the joy that comes from mastering what at first appears difficult. Parent, Dhananjay Keskar, Beaverton OR Luiza is no longer simply my piano teacher. She isn't just the person who has shown me the gift of music I'm so grateful for. She has become a mentor, friend and family member as well as a beloved teacher.When I moved to the U.S. at 9 years old, I had already been playing piano for two years in Amsterdam. My family and I immediately set out to find a new teacher, and I'm so grateful we found Luiza one year later. With her teaching and my improvement as a result, sight reading and trudging through pieces was no longer a chore. It became a gift of joy and a place where I could escape to. Although I do not deny my occasional frustration, I believe that I would've given into it had it not been for Luiza's belief in me. Every Tuesday, Luiza comes to my house and practically becomes a family member for an hour. We take a couple minutes before the lesson to talk about life, and Luiza is always interested in what I'm doing and what interests me. Then, we get to work. Scales first, arpeggios second, and then off into the piece we go. She has introduced me to all the masterful composers of my beloved instrument so well, I would practically shake their hand. Every piece has a story behind it for us. We often imagine a detailed story or emotion behind a piece, which always aides my interpretation. Luiza not only helps me understand the notes on the page, but also the story behind them and the structural components used to tell that story. This enables me to play with more than just my brain; I use my heart and sometimes even my soul. Another way in which Luiza has taught me a great deal is through her twice-yearly recitals and the piano Festivals she enrolled me in. I remember my very first recital and how terribly nervous I felt. So much so that I forgot to bow and took a painful amount of time to find my piece in the book. But to Luiza, it didn't matter whether I played the right notes or forgot where I was in the piece, she was unconditionally proud of me. Proud that I got up on that stage and played for an audience, proud that I was sharing the gift of music with others and proud that I was simply playing piano. For a nine year old, and I suppose for a seventeen year old as well, there is nothing more valuable than having someone who truly believes in you and your ability. This belief in me also shone through in the support Luiza gave me in the festivals I participated in. Although they are technically competitions, the festivals have taught me so much more than just winning. Getting up in front of strangers to perform a piece you think you know by heart is a scary thing, even for adults. I was able to override that fear knowing that I have Luiza and her teaching behind me. It was her instruction that helped me become a winner of these festivals four times over. Although I can account for some degree of my own musicality, without Luiza, I would've never been able to polish my raw love for music. Luiza has known me for 8 years now. She has seen me grow a great deal and will soon see me graduate from High School. She has taught me more than I could ever thank her enough for; the discipline needed for a difficult piece, the technique behind the music I play, how to refine the tumblings of emotion I am often too quick to inject into a piece, and a deeper appreciation for music are but some of the things I have learned from her. All in all, I am so very lucky to call Luiza my teacher. Student, Mia Baudey, Portland OR We have known Luiza for 8 years now , since she agreed to become our son's, Andy, piano teacher and coach him through understanding his first Do/Re /Mi's (or C/D/E's) -he was just turning 5 at that time. Her patience , great method, combined with a firm (yet so soft) hand , had payed off soon in enhancing Andy's passion for music (and ours); he loved to practice his music and was even trying to compose short pieces to "surprize Luiza" . He really wants her to be proud of him and this tells a lot about their true connection through music. It was Emma's turn (Andy's sister, as she started to play the piano at age 6) to try her best and practice (almost) every day , "until I'm perfect, so Luiza can give be a grade A". Emma and Andy have already made Luiza proud by winning prizes at different festivals (Andy was the winner of the OMTA Classical Festival in 2013 and of the Romantic Festival in 2014,with a Memorable Mention at the 2015 Classical Festival). Emma won the 2014 Romantic Festival and the 2015 Classical Festival. We highly recommend Luiza to young and adult students showing a genuine interest in music early in life. Because the best thing is, learning the earliest concepts of music by Andy's and Emma's side, my own interest was sparkled and I now enjoy playing the piano myself (after taking 1 year of lessons with Luiza), when I want to relax after a busy day. It is never too late for music! Parents, Dana and Silvi Goldenberg, Lake Oswego OR Luiza has been teaching Piano for my daughter Divya for over 9 years. She motivates and encourages Divya to keep progressing and helps her to develop a life-long love for music. Luiza’s coaching and guidance has helped in having enjoyable and successful recitals, syllabus tests and various festivals. Her lessons are fun, yet challenging and inspires my daughter to play every day at home. She has taught Divya many great skills, techniques and to understand the emotions in music which made her play to play difficult passage with ease. Luiza demands a lot from her students to achieve great heights in music. Parent, Pattu Amirtharaj, Beaverton OR Luiza has been teaching my children for 11 years now. She has worked with them diligently to improve not only there skill level but even there technique, hand position and dynamics and is constantly pushing them towards excellence. She is an amazing pianist herself and her love and dedication to music is apparent in her teaching. Luiza has a very well rounded approach and includes theory lessons, recitals and competitions as part of her yearly curriculum. She seeks out there input when picking out the appropriate song for them, for example she worked with my son when he wanted to learn how to play the Star Wars theme song and when my daughter picked a Disney song that she really wanted to learn how to play. Under her tutelage my children have participated in baroque, romantic and classical festivals. She has also introduced my son to some Jazz music which shows the diversity of the music education they are recording from her. Parent, Anu Khaira, Beaverton OR Playing the piano has been one of the greatest experiences ever given to me, and has made me grow in so many ways. At the beginning of my musical career, however, my opinion on piano lessons was a completely different story. My decision to start piano was actually not my own, my parents were mostly the ones behind it. I started much later than most of the other kids at my studio (I was 12). Worst of all, I was completely oblivious to the fact that playing music needed passion and regular practicing. In all, I had no motivation for playing during my first couple of months. I absolutely hated “slaving away” at the piano during my (barely) 15 minute a day practices. I had already considered giving up by the time 3 months had gone by. When I voiced this desire to quit and complained about my trouble with regular practicing to Teacher Luiza, she tried a different strategy on me. She let me concentrate less on musical theory (which my mom was more interested in) and more about playing songs I actually enjoyed. Slowly, my love for music grew and I could feel myself getting much better. To this day, I don’t have to be forced to sit at the piano anymore, I actually enjoy it. Looking back, I realize that there are so many lessons and values music lessons have instilled in me- patience, determination, and the joy of music. Teacher Luiza is not only an amazing teacher when it comes to, well, teaching, but she also understands and genuinely cares for her students. If she had not been there to guide me when I was on the verge of quitting, I would probably have given up. Piano lessons have been a journey for me, one that has taught me countless lessons and has given me many meaningful experiences. I wouldn’t give them up for anything. Student, Sarah Haque, Portland OR This is a letter of highest recommendation. I don’t think you can find nicer people than Luiza and her husband, Vladimir. It’s stunning the world-class musical talent they each possess, yet they are very humble about it. I hope you, like us, get the feeling that Luiza truly just wants to share music with anyone willing to learn it, regardless of the student’s level. Our daughter Sydona, at the age of 16, took her first ever piano lesson with Luiza in June of 2015. We were referred to Luiza by another piano teacher and are very thankful for that. We contacted Luiza by phone and she was very receptive to meeting us. On the first meeting it was obvious the character of this lady. She gave freely of her time to sit with Sydona to get an understanding of how much music knowledge she had. She talked to Sydona and me about what our expectations were for these lessons and gave a cursory lesson-style session to get a feeling of Sydona’s aptitude for music both instrumentally and vocally. We started with one half-hour lesson each week and increased to one hour per week after approximately two months. And Sydona just participated in her first recital in early December. Luiza had her play the theme music from the movie Titanic. Our family and friends enjoyed it thoroughly. Our daughter is very independent, so I generally do not attend her lessons. But, I have attended a couple and I always feel welcome and included in the lesson. I’m really impressed with the way Luiza speaks to Sydona. She is soft spoken, but direct and honest about the situation, whether it’s regarding posture or lack of practice, etc. At the same time, Luiza is never anything but encouraging. Sydona tells us all the time how amazing Luiza is. She absolutely adores this music teacher, as do I. I see Luiza as a positive force making a difference in my child’s life and we just appreciate her so much! Parent Paige McMullin |