Shanti-Ella Cretu

Shanti-Ella is an enthusiastic music educator with 7 years of experience in teaching flute, and nearly 3 years of teaching beginner piano. She is dedicated to making every student’s musical journey fun and engaging whilst pursuing their full potential. She believes strongly in inspiring her students to love what they do, which in turn helps them better express themselves and develop their musical skills.
With over 15 years of flute playing, Shanti-Ella has a degree in Flute Performance from the University of British Columbia. She studied there under the tutelage of Brenda Fedoruk, principal flute of the Vancouver Opera, and was awarded several scholarships including the Nora Mansell and Pauline Legg bursaries. She also received lessons from Paolo Bortolussi, a prolific contemporary flutist, and Christie Reside, the principal flutist for the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra. During her degree, she performed numerous times in the Roy Barnett Recital Hall and the Chan Centre, presenting both chamber and solo performances. She also played in the UBC Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, even touring with them to San Francisco!

Over the years, Shanti-Ella has participated in myriad international summer programs such as Orford Musique, Northern California Flute Camp, Blueridge Chamber Music Festival and The Consummate Flutist. There she was able to further develop her flute-playing with teaching from the likes of Lorna McGhee, Denis Bluteau and Leone Buyse.
In addition to private lessons, Shanti-Ella has also been called upon as a clinician numerous times to lead older students in group settings, helping high school students work on their band repertoire and improve their technique. Her time with youth orchestras such as the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra has equipped her with valuable skills for working in larger ensembles. She has played and performed with several ensembles including the Vancouver and BC Philharmonic Orchestras, Symphony 21, and Les Hirondelles.

With her teaching experience, Shanti-Ella has had the opportunity to teach students of all ages, from 4 to 72 years old! She firmly believes that there is never a wrong time to learn a new skill, especially if one is passionate about it. She also has experience working with neurodivergent students, and working with them to find their own unique communication and learning styles. By incorporating games, drawing, and storytelling into her lessons (especially for younger students), she helps to bridge their understanding and make learning more enjoyable. It is always wonderful to see students thriving in their music-making journey.