Personal Piano Training Reviews From Colleagues and Students

Natsha Siri
Pianist & Teacher

During the pandemic, I attended an online workshop that had a few different pianists of all backgrounds attend. I was able to openly share my challenges with the tempo and some technical aspects of the Czerny exercise I’ve been working on, and the group gave me such amazing feedback and encouragement to help me become a better pianist and musician. Anton also asked me questions that made me reconsider my perspective of this exercise; it started off as just a hand exercise to help increase velocity and stamina, but then I realized that it was truly like a short, happy song with some distinct melodies and harmonies.

Anyway, you want to know more about Anton, right? Anton as a human being: KIND, CHILL, & FUNNY. He makes good jokes and there’s never an awkward moment. Anton as a piano teacher: PATIENT, ENTHUSIASTIC, & KNOWLEDGEABLE!!! He can deal with all kinds of people and teach all levels of piano. I highly recommend taking piano lessons from Anton Achondoa. ✨

Brendan McGrath
Pianist , Teacher, & Composer

Anton is a gifted instructor and pianist. As a former master's student myself of classical piano performance, I've taken many lessons with Anton, specifically regarding virtuoso romantic repertoire. My time with him has always been informative, inspiring, and - most importantly - he helped me directly to solve the problems I wanted to solve. Anton strikes a rare balance: he is knowledgeable about the tradition of piano playing, but open-minded about new ideas. One of the most useful and inspiring things about studying with Anton is his heavy engagement as a listener to piano music, always able to recommend suitable repertoire, as well as recordings of great pianists playing that repertoire. This kind of audio-first approach allowed me to ask for exactly the help I needed from Anton by pointing to direct references. I found he was unusually equipped to discuss these topics with me. During COVID I took part in a set of online masterclasses that Anton held for students, something which I hope to do again. During this process, I received excellent feedback from Anton as well as his other students, no doubt themselves well-informed by way of studying with him. In all, I find Anton to be respectful, practical, creative, and attentive. I would greatly recommend allowing him to take you under his wing.

James Singleton
Pianist

I was understandably nervous about playing during my online lesson with Anton, having drifted for 30 years with few results to show for it. I was expecting to be savaged for the 2 pieces we decided to look (1 Chopin etude, 1 Rachmaninoff prelude).

Anton's gentle nature seemed to put me at ease, and despite me taking things faster than my current technical abilities would allow. It was ok to not be perfect and sounding as fluent as Ashkenazy on the Chopin!

He gave me many technical insights on relaxation and efficiency that had never been explained to me before. I asked about how to become more solid with memory rather than just mindless repetition and was treated
to a detailed harmonic analysis (particularly the Rach prelude) which made a lot of sense to me. Suddenly I had a path to secure memorisation that I'd always felt I lacked. He offered many approaches to practicing that were totally new to me and which have already have begun to pay dividends.

Anton is a great player but most of all, he's one of those rare people who can explain his unique insights and approaches to the non-prodigies like myself. I would highly recommend him as a teacher of piano and also just musicality and theory as well.

Jillian Dewar
Flutist

In having Anton as my piano instructor, I have seen major improvements in my overall technique and musicality. He is an incredibly knowledgeable musician in his craft and has a passion for sharing this enthusiasm with students at all playing levels. Anton offers a welcoming environment during lessons so that you as a student feel comfortable giving your best effort and you don’t feel chastised for making mistakes. He can pinpoint where your technique needs improvement and provides great suggestions and exercises to jump those hurdles. If you are looking to take your musicianship to the next level, I would highly recommend Anton as your instructor!

a snapshot of Anton teaching piano online.

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More Reviews from Anton’s Former Piano Students

  • With her long, flowing hair, vocalist and rising opera start Alla Salakhova poses for a professional headshot.

    Alla Salakhova | Vocalist

    “Anton is a fantastic piano teacher. I had Anton for a university piano course and I improved greatly while studying with him. He is kind, professional, and made lessons very enjoyable. He also continuously challenged me which I appreciated. His passion and extensive musical knowledge make him a highly skilled teacher!”

  • A digital piano sits in a comfortable corner of the house.

    Grace Ren | Pianist

    “I had Anton as a teacher for a university music course and I enjoyed our lessons very much! He is a kind and attentive teacher and I have no doubt in his ability to give any student a comfortable learning environment.”

  • A girl wearing a cardigan plays the violin outdoors.

    Mikaela Olsen | Violinist

    “Mr. Achondoa was very patient yet diligent in his teaching. He found the delicate balance between encouraging me in my progress while also challenging me with new skills and opportunities. This has really benefitted my studies in piano and in music as a whole. I am very thankful that he was my instructor.

  • A closeup shot of someone's hands on a saxophone.

    Annie Lamarre | Saxophonist

    “ Anton is a highly skilled and incredibly patient teacher. During my time as his piano student, he continuously found ways to help me feel confident in my developing abilities, while also feeding me new material that was challenging enough that I would have room to grow and improve. I’m so grateful that he was my instructor while I learned the fundamentals of pianism!

  • A small, red xylophone

    Dexter Lough | Percussionist

    “I had Anton for an introductory piano course and he was wonderful to work with. He always prioritised the students’ improvement and encouraged coming in for extra help if needed. He had you choose the piece rather than assigning it to you and was very thorough with scales and techniques. I wouldn’t be able to recommend him any more!”

  • A kid's hands at the piano

    Jaime & Karleen | Parents of a former Student

    “Anton was our son’s first music teacher and was highly influential to our son. Our son developed the discipline to practice piano every day and he always looked forward to his lessons with Anton. We knew that Anton had the skill set and personality to fit perfectly. Anton is a friend to anyone who meets him.”

Anton's hands at the piano, featuring an instrument from the Japanese manufacturer, Kawai.

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