Lila Ainsworth

LILA AINSWORTH enjoys combining her roles as cellist, conductor, and music educator. She studied cello under Phyllis Young at the University of Texas where she received a BM in cello performance and continued her studies with George Neikrug at Boston University where she received a MM in cello performance. In New York, she pursued advanced cello studies with Evangeline Benedetti, Irene Sharp and Gerald Kagan and conducting with Vincent La Selva at the Juilliard School. She also completed the two-year long-term Suzuki Teacher Training in cello books 1-10 at the School for Strings in Manhattan.

Lila has performed in chamber music festivals and orchestras in the States and Europe including the Austin Symphony, Boston Opera, The Springfield Symphony, The Des Moines Metro Opera, Godowsky Opera, Virginia Beach Pops, AIMS Opera and Music Festival in Austria and the Sienna Festival in Italy. She was selected as principal cellist of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in Lenox, MA. She has conducted for the Greater Boston Youth Orchestras, the Stamford Young Artists and the Scarsdale High School Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and AllDistrict Elementary Orchestra. She is a certified solo and ensemble adjudicator for the NY State School Music Association and the American String Teachers Association. In recent years, Lila served as Education Outreach Specialist to “Live From Lincoln Center”. In this position, she sought to promote and honor exceptional teaching and student performance nationwide through the Outstanding Student Performance Award Program.

Lila continues to maintain a thriving studio of cello students. Many have performed as section and principal players in local and state orchestras including; The National Youth Orchestra of the United States, The New York Youth Symphony, New York Conference All-State and Greater Westchester Youth Symphony Orchestras. Some have been accepted at prestigious music schools and festivals including; SUNY Purchase Conservatory, Manhattan School Of Music, Aaron Copland School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Boston University Young Artists Program at Tanglewood, Interlochen Arts Academy, Greenwood Music Camp, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and the Summit Music Festival. Exceptional students have also participated and won awards in solo and concerto competitions sponsored by the Hudson Valley Music Club, the Yonkers Philharmonic and the Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra.