Hi there, and thanks for visiting my teaching page! I’m Arlen — an adventure-seeking, nature-admiring, fashion-designing, animal-loving musician, reader, hiker, and explorer. I began playing the cello at age 4, and have wanted music to be a significant part of my life ever since. (You can read about my life/career as a performer in my bio.) I started mentoring younger students when I was in pre-college, and continued as a volunteer for Youth Orchestra Los Angeles when I was a teenager studying at The Colburn School. Over the past decade, I’ve grown a small but dedicated private studio on the East Coast, and worked in both private (individual) and group settings, teaching students of all levels (from brand-new beginners to advanced college music majors) of all ages (from age 3 to 76). I also have experience working with students on the autism spectrum.

My teaching style changes from student to student depending on each individual’s needs, but in general focuses largely on developing a solid foundation: technically, physically, and in sound/tone production, and encouraging/developing curiosity and imagination. I have spent a lot of time studying/practicing/teaching yoga, and have found that developing an awareness of my body has vastly improved my ability on my instrument. I don’t make my students do yoga, but I do emphasize the physical relationship with the instrument and fostering an awareness of how we can best use our bodies to create a sound.

I love exploring how we can use music to express ourselves, and am passionate about sharing what I’ve learned so far — from my teachers, colleagues, musical role models, and students, as much as from my own studies and explorations. As a teacher, I’ve taught in classroom settings through the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Curtis Institute, Project 440, and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect Teaching Artist programs, as well as in group settings (usually cello-only, or strings-only) with Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections, Play on Philly, and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. I’ve given masterclasses in the United States, Canada, Denmark, France, and Germany, served on faculty of Curtis Summerfest & Symphony in C’s Summer Festival, and coached a variety of groups in the Greater Philadelphia area.

I am currently accepting long-term students, but I am also happy to hear someone for just one or two sessions to work on a particular piece or prepare for a specific performance/audition. If you are interested in taking lessons with me, please contact me here, or e-mail me at arlen@arlenhlusko.com. I hold small in-person studios in New York City and Philadelphia, and I also offer lessons online through Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or the platform of your choosing. I also share a teaching studio with my partner, Francis Carr, and we like to put together studio recitals to offer our students chances to perform and build a sense of community. All of our students have the option of having additional lessons with either of us.

To read more about my teaching and read reviews from some of my students, please visit my page on thumbtack.