Luis A. — Cello Teacher — Mile End, Montreal

Brazilian cellist Luis Almeida is the recipient of the Olivier Toni Award for his prominence in musical artistry. A versatile musician, he performs across a wide range of contexts, from baroque music to touring with jazz and alternative rock groups. In 2023, he formed the Acalanto Duo with Brazilian pianist Amanda Kohn, exploring Brazilian repertoire for cello and piano; the duo is signed to Século 30 Records and will release their debut album in 2025. Luis is the founder of Musical Gym, a project dedicated to helping students develop high-level practice habits, and Cello em Pauta, a platform exploring the history and craft of cello performance. He serves as a director of the International Cello Festival of Canada and the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival, where he created the Glimpses of the Future competition to support emerging artists. He is currently a doctoral researcher and instructor at McGill University, where he was nominated for the university’s Teaching Awards. Luis is proudly sponsored by Jargar Strings and Melos Rosin.

Throughout my 15+ years of teaching experience, I've developed an enormous passion to help students in their musical journey, regardless of level and age. Due to that, I founded two educational projects, Musical Gym and Cello em Pauta. The first is dedicated to practice organization, as a reflection of my personal musical journey and research throughout the years. The second is a combination of discussion regarding the craft of music making! One of my specialties is practice organization. I understand that sometimes students don't have a lot of time to practice, so I believe that it is very important to create an effective routine that also keeps us motivated! I have a large orchestral experience, most recently as a core member of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, so if you are looking to start your orchestral career or if you are getting ready for your next audition, I have the tools that you need! I also have extensive experience teaching kids, due to my experience as a professor at the Sistema Winnipeg, teaching kids from age 7 to 13. As a guitarist, I have been working as a session musician for 10+ years, recording, touring and teaching! As a result of these folk and classical experiences, I am a doctoral researcher studying the combination of those styles!