Aija Kante-Cahn

Aija is warm, nurturing, and genuinely brilliant on the cello — the kind of teacher who makes you feel instantly at ease. She's a mother of two, speaks multiple languages, and has lived all over the world, from Latvia, Singapore, Germany and now Maine. She can flat-out play — trained under one of the greatest cello lineages in the world, Aija has spent her life devoted to music.

What lessons are like: Aija builds real technique from the ground up — how you hold the instrument, how you hold the bow, the fundamentals that make everything thereafter possible. She teaches through the European school of music pedagogy, with some Suzuki method elements — combining rigorous ear training with a strong, hands-on approach to technique and tone, while bringing students to real music literacy too. Patient and thorough, she works with students of all ages, from young beginners to adults, and always at a pace that builds something lasting.

Great for: students who want a real, lasting technical foundation · families who want to be involved in the learning process · learners of any age, from young beginners to adults

Background: Aija trained at the J. Vitols Music Academy in Riga, Latvia, one of Europe's most respected conservatories, studying under Eleonora Testeleca — a direct protégé of Mstislav Rostropovich, widely considered the greatest cellist of the 20th century and a close collaborator of composers like Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Aija went on to further studies in Cologne, Germany, and has taught and performed across Europe and Asia before settling in Maine.