About Mikaela
Mikaela Nilo is a private violin instructor and performer in Northeastern Kansas. She performs regularly as an orchestral violinist for the Salina Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Smoky Valley, Sioux City Symphony, and others. Nilo, 24, grew up in Newberg, Oregon into a musical family and began playing violin at the age of four. She received her undergraduate degree in violin performance from Biola University in Los Angeles where she studied with Elizabeth Larson-Freeman and was a member of the Honor's String Quartet. Throughout her undergrad career, Nilo had opportunities to debut several student compositions, solo with the orchestra, serve as concertmaster, as well as teach String Sprouts - a free after-school program for young children in underserved areas. Nilo graduated from Biola in the spring of 2021 with multiple outstanding musician awards. She has attended many summer festivals including the Credo Chamber music festival in Ohio, Interharmony Music Festival in Italy, Heartland Chamber Music Festival in Kansas City, and Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina where she received a fellowship to work in the faculty orchestra under Maestro Gerard Schwarz. Since graduating, she’s studied with several teachers including Oleh Krysa, David Colwell, Madeleine Jansen, and Benjamin Sung. Nilo deeply values the concept of being a lifelong learner. One can find her practicing for an upcoming performance in her studio during her teaching breaks, talking on the phone with other teachers to figure out solutions to each other's teaching questions, and attending summer festivals and workshops to enrich her own musical abilities. When teaching her students, she seeks to foster not only their musicality but nurture them in their confidence, responsibility, and maturity as a human being as well. She pulls from several different teaching methods and has received training in the Suzuki method from Elizabeth Freeman and Elizabeth Faidley. Nilo values good technique, beautiful tone, and a joyful spirit in her studio. She currently lives in Fort Riley, Kansas with her husband, Jared, and their rabbit, Smudge.