Violin, Viola, Piano, Ukulele
Olga Zaiats
I am a professional violinist and music teacher with a background in both music performance and education. With more than five years of teaching experience, I’ve worked with children, teens, and adults of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced players preparing for auditions.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Education from the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music and Master degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Currently, I’m continuing my studies at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance on a postgraduate Certificate program.
I tailor each lesson to the student’s interests and goals, combining strong technical foundation with creativity, curiosity, and fun. In my lessons, I create a supportive space where students can build confidence, gain new skills without unnecessary pressure and simply enjoy the process of music-making!
Whether your dream is to be a professional musician, perform for friends, or simply try music for fun, I’m here to provide support and guidance!
When did you begin playing Violin, and why?
When I was 6 years old, my family took me to a rock concert, where I heard violin live for the first time. I decided that I wanted to play this instrument right away and begged my parents to take me to a music school until they agreed!
What other instruments do you play, and what is your experience with them?
In the music schools I attended, piano was a required second instrument for all string players, so I received some formal training in it. I never had a goal to become a great classical player, but my level was enough to substitute for some performances in popular genres, and it was a lot of fun.
I picked up ukulele when I became serious about teaching because I had a lot of requests from my students interested in learning it. I love teaching ukulele because it is a perfect instrument for someone who wants to try music without spending a lot of time tackling technical challenges!
Viola players were my best friends in high school, so naturally I tried their instruments and learned from them about alto clef and differences in tone production. I enjoy playing viola from time to time, whether it’s for performances in ensembles or just for myself.
I’ve had performance and studio recording experience with electric guitar, bass guitar and vocals for my personal and friends’ projects.
What are your personal goals as a musician?
I believe that music can convey even the most subtle emotions which cannot be expressed by words. My goal as a performer is to express those emotions and help the listeners feel seen, experience new emotional states or heal through the music.
Do you have a memory of a time when a musical concept or technique really clicked? Something you’ll remember forever?
I had several of these moments when I started teaching and guiding rehearsals for several of my ensembles. I had to revisit a lot of basic concepts and come up with effective explanations, which made me rethink some technical aspects of my own playing.
What is your favorite piece of advice from one of your past (or current) teachers?
A very important piece of advice I received during my master’s studies was to be aware of sensations in the body and especially breathing. Slowing down your breath can help calm down before the performance and breathing together in an ensemble helps to connect and feel musical time better! At first, it felt counterintuitive because I used to focus exclusively on my instrument, but after practicing it I realized this is a healthier approach which improves the playing, mental state and wellbeing at the same time.
What was your most challenging moment learning an instrument?
Learning double stops. Intonation can become challenging even when you are playing a single-voice melody on violin, but if you need to get two notes sound in tune at the same time… it requires a lot of discipline and some finger-twisting!
What is your biggest musical achievement?
One of the most interesting projects in my career was a contemporary music ensemble, where I played solo violin part and supported the artistic director with programming and organization. When I started to play with this ensemble, it was a new experimental project, and our concerts didn’t attract a lot of listeners. Over time, the ensemble started touring and filling halls with 1000+ seats – it was fantastic playing solo part in those venues.
Favorite thing about teaching?
I like to share how music works from the inside: what makes a student’s favorite song sound so great, what to listen for in music to become a better musician yourself, and of course, how to play a melody not only with the right notes, but to express a certain feeling.
What is a piece of advice you would like to share with anyone learning music?
Remember that small steps make big results. It’s easy to become judgy of yourself if you don’t progress as fast as you want or expect but remember that learning music is not linear and sometimes a new concept needs patient and consistent practice before it appears in your playing and makes it better.
Personal music projects:
ORKESTR 442: string rock chamber orchestra which played inventive covers of popular music and original music of the artistic director.
The Cinematica: experimental ensemble of contemporary music with a wide repertoire ranging from film music to minimalism tradition, original music of contemporary composers and improvisation.
Cosmo Martini: avant-garde art rock band with original songs blending the energy of British punk tradition, sonic explorations of psychedelic rock and traits of Russian classical music.