I’ve been taking cello and music theory lessons from Prof. Pablo Bercellini and Mr. Robert Boer, and the support I’ve received was incredibly profound. Not only are my tutors gifted with immense musical talent, but they also have plenty of passion and patience forbye. In theory lessons, Mr. Boer will explain, in detail, any concept. His classes are of a delightful and encouraging atmosphere and one can find that he has high expectations for his students. Prof. Bercellini gives insightful and helpful advice during his lessons; anything from adjusting one’s style of playing to be stylistically fitting for the piece, to the width and speed of vibrato. Furthermore, he is always willing to discuss different interpretations with his students. In the most heartfelt manner, I am immensely grateful and will recommend any—in doubt or in need— to partake in their lessons.

Alina Wu

Cello and Music Theory Student from China.

We are gladly subscribing with MTO, our piano (Mr. Boer) and violin (Mrs. Wang) teachers are very supportive, using good communication tools, and provide high-quality lessons. Mr. Ahmad, father of Aws and Adam. 

Adam and Aws

ABRSM violin and piano students from Saudi Arabia. 

Mr. Boer was my piano teacher for 4 years during my middle and high school years. During those years, I felt that I grew the most not only as a pianist but also as a musician. He introduced and taught me about famous pianists, composers, and important piano repertoire that later became very beneficial in my college and professional life. He fixed my technique at the piano and was able to ignite my passion to pursue classical piano as a career by guiding me to discover my own interpretations and creativity. I would not have my unique style of playing, or so-called my own “voice” at the piano if it wasn’t for Mr. Boer. I highly recommend him to any musician, not just pianists. Thank you for all your work with me, Mr. Boer!

Belle Suwanpotipra

Piano Student from Thailand. Currently studying Doctoral of Musical Arts in Piano at the University of Maryland. 

I was a student of Andrés Bercellini, for 4 years. During this period I felt always inspired, supported, and motivated to keep growing more and more. His way of teaching opened the way for me to get to where I am today. I sincerely recommend Mr. Bercellini as a teacher and as a person.

Luis

Former horn student. Currently studying bachelors of music at the Staatliche Hochschule fur Music un Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany.

Mr. Boer is an amazing teacher and mentor. During the two years of my IB career, he has always been my constant support and inspiration. His lively class adopted a variety of materials, explaining musical ideas through recorded concerts, professional analysis, and a piece’s backstory. He led our discussion of music step-by-step – when facing grand concepts like polyphony or jazz chords, an improvised passage on the piano would quickly dissect the complexities of music. I particularly liked the performance sessions, where Mr. Boer would meet with each student individually to address concerns and demonstrate techniques. He is such a well-rounded musician that he’s proficient with nearly every student’s instrument. He could learn in minutes a piece I had struggled to practice for weeks, then teach me the ins-and-outs to master it. I have enjoyed every part of my music experience with Mr. Boer and always wanted the next class to come sooner.

Tim Wang

IBDP Music Student from China.

"I am a Chinese IBDP learner. Mr. Boer was my high school music teacher. He was really nice and knowledgeable. Since I was in an IBDP curriculum, I was supposed to learn sufficient music theory and a general understanding of world music history. Mr. Boer offered structured lecturers and interactive activities for us to get a more straightforward and more comprehensive understanding. For an international student like me, I was not familiar with the western composer’s life story, he used PPT presentations to highlight their contributions to the overall music history and made our tests easier. What’s more, I was also learning music composition. He offered great help during the process of composition. I often faced difficulties in using the software, Sibelius, and he often searched useful materials online and taught us how to be more skillful at composing. Overall, Mr. Boer is a really responsible and caring teacher".  

Lemon

IBDP Music Student from China.

“I’ve known Robert as a colleague for over 10 years. We both worked as music teachers at the same school in Bangkok, Thailand. As head of the music department, I have had the pleasure of working very closely with Robert, observe him in many lessons, and attend his many performances. Robert is a very dedicated teacher and is willing to go the extra mile for his students. His lessons are very structured, with always high student engagement. He is extremely knowledgeable, kind, understanding, and supportive of all his students. This encouraging, friendly, and approachable style always tells me that he really loves what he is doing. Robert instills a love for music in his students, which results in his classes being very popular, and with high student participation. I would always hear from his students that they enjoy attending his lessons! Robert is a great musician and plays many instruments and it was a pleasure working together with him for so many years".

Kim McDonald

Former colleague of Robert Boer and Head of the Music Department at RuamRudee International School, Thailand. 

Picture if you will a very tall (6.6) slender man and a fluffy 5.4 lady with their ankles tied together to participate in the 3-legged race. Picture as well the length of their legs and the width of their individual strides and you’ll have a perfect visual of how Robert Boer and Judye Byrum met for the 1st time. It was the Annual Ruamrudee International School’s Games Day and the year was 2006.

Both have remained close friends since that time even though they live many miles apart. I digress. Regardless of friendships and miles, Robert has remained true to his musical talents. He left RIS in 2012 to take another music position in China. Since then he has been teaching and inspiring students wherever he goes. Robert not only encourages students who have never played an instrument regardless of age but continues to mentor older students who have gone on to play in Asian competitions, as a featured artist with the Bangkok Symphony and in front of Thai Royalty. One of the things I always admired about Robert was that no matter how many accolades his students accumulated, he never stole their thunder.

Robert possesses a wealth of musical knowledge, styles, techniques, and shares this knowledge generously. He never settles for mediocrity. While at RIS Robert instituted a Jazz Band open to any student who wanted a challenge to learn a different kind of music. It was a huge success and as a result of the band’s success, they were asked to perform at school functions, mall events, and local festivals.

To keep things fresh and new Robert would take both groups to a “camp” within Thailand. During the camp, kids had time to practice, learn new musical pieces,  relax, and get individualized attention. But it wasn’t music 24/7. Robert always did something special for the students like teaching them to make smores over a grill, having a movie night, or engaging in pool volleyball.

I could go on and on about our adventures and how our friendship has endured but what I really want to express is that Robert is a wonderful human being with a love of music that is unparalleled. Be assured that you are getting a quality music teacher with only your best interests as his goal.

Judye Byrum

Former Colleague of Robert Boer at Ruamrudee International School Bangkok, Thailand.