I really enjoyed your Tchaikovsky recital.  The students clearly worked hard preparing for it, and what it meant to you, personally, showed and made it special.  Nicely done.

-Chris M

Our friends and family were delighted by Mrs. Lena's young talents at the Tchaikovsky recital this winter.  Each of her students played with passion, skill and grace.  It has been a privilege to watch our daughter's progress over such a short period. Bravo!      

-Caroline

We recently moved to the area and were looking to resume piano lessons for our child. Our previous teacher was fantastic, and we were worried about the quality. However, I was impressed with the initial consolation, and have not been disappointed since. The progression we have seen with our child has been fantastic, and most importantly our child enjoys their lessons.

-David Marchante

Our child has been taking Mrs. Lena’s lessons for more than 5 years. Mrs. Lena provides great theory as well as focuses on proper technique. She’s very results-oriented. Kids’ progress is visible with every performance. We highly recommend Mrs. Lena for all levels.

-Dina Chekler

I am an adult student with past/limited piano skills. I started taking lessons with Lena a couple months ago. Getting scheduled and started was easy. She's taken the time to get to know me, my ability, interests and goals; and tailors my lessons accordingly. I like the music she chooses for me. I can already sight-read much better. I enjoy her company. All these things motivate me to practice every day and improve.

-Erin Dethlefsen

Lena has been teaching our daughter piano for 4 1/2 years now and we have been blown away by her progress. Lena constantly strives to inspire and motivate her students to keep improving. She provides multiple opportunities to perform throughout the year and is always very supportive and encouraging. We can't recommend her enough!

-Kevin Manson

As a parent, I highly value the results-oriented instruction that Lena Afanaseva provides. Lena is an experienced piano teacher who helps her students build strong foundations and consistently improve their technical skills. I also appreciate that she sets high expectations for her students.

While her teaching repertoire is primarily Western classical music, Lena is always open to including pieces from my daughter’s cultural background when we request it. This flexibility made us feel that her music studies were more personal and meaningful.

My daughter has been studying piano with Lena for several years, has made significant progress, and now plans to minor in music - a decision I believe was strongly influenced by her experience learning with Lena.

- Inessa L.

I decided to start piano lessons as an adult and have had the pleasure of being taught by Lena for 3 years now. Lena is not only an expert pianist, but also an outstanding teacher. She's very encouraging and tailors lessons to match my skill level and musical interests making learning the piano a truly enjoyable experience. I'm so grateful for the progress I've made and I credit this to her expertise and dedication. I highly recommend Lena to anyone looking to learn or improve their piano skills!

-Susan Manson

“My daughter has taken two years of piano with Lena Afanaseva. My daughter started out very nervous and shy about playing piano, but Lena was able to bring her out of her shell in no time! Lena’s teaching style is kind and up-beat. She sets high standards but is also very patient. The recitals have also helped my daughter with her confidence level, and I see this carried over in other parts of my daughter’s life.” 

- Sally R

“Ms. Lena is wonderful, warm and nurturing. She's given my daughter Bella a strong foundation since we started when she was four years old. Now Bella enjoys playing and is very confident performing."

- Siri

“It has been my pleasure having Mrs. Afanaseva as my son’s piano teacher, as we are now starting his second year under her instruction. He had some informal instruction with another teacher for 1.5 years previously, and unfortunately, had to `un-learn' some bad technical habits with the help of Mrs. Afanaseva. At every turn, she discussed his progress and weaknesses with me and made suggestions for helping him at home. 

The best complement that I can give her is that  Mrs. Afanaseva shows great compassion towards her students, and exhibits equal passion in teaching them the amazing mysteries of the wonderful world of music. Her method of teaching is strict and professional, yet she is open-minded as well. She takes into consideration what the students may be interested in learning, and tries to incorporate that style or piece into the individualized lesson plan for that student.

The old saying `Practice makes perfect,' may not apply for everyone, but Mrs. Afanaseva demands each student puts forth their greatest effort in practicing their pieces properly. On the same token, she uses motivational and encouraging teaching techniques, as well as the introduction of challenging pieces, to get the best out of each student. This creates an immense feeling of accomplishment in the student upon mastering their new selection.

The students have several recital opportunities throughout the year to delight family, friends and music lovers of all ages. The confidence that theses recitals build in the students overflows into their personal lives. My son, for example, demonstrated a great deal of initiative in various school situations where he never felt comfortable before he started taking lessons with Mrs. Afanaseva.

Mrs. Afanaseva is highly accredited and has a diverse background in music education. Due to this fact, it has been a pleasure to see my son's talent blossom, along with his love of music for the past year. He is very eager to continue his music education with Mrs. Afanaseva, as this exposure has enabled him to excel academically in his favorite subjects at school.” 

- Natalya T

“My two daughters have been attending Lena’s Piano Studio for about two years now, and I am very happy with their progress. Neither of them have taken piano lessons before, and it was clear from the beginning that Lena’s approach is ideal for my girls’ learning personalities because their progress was apparent immediately. Lena’s teaching techniques do not only produce visible results, but also engage the children and keep them interested in playing. “

- Chris M

Ms. Lena is a great piano teacher. She cares very much about her students and bringing the best out of them. She is very thorough and knowledgeable and can teach any age. Highly highly recommended.

-Monica Arenas Christman