Multi-award winning pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. I collaborated with 100+ composers and songwriters around the world.
I can perform and record the piano part for your project if you have the score or I can arrange your song or instrumental myself and create the piano line for you. I can provide you with an acoustic or a digital recording, including el.piano, organ or synths (with MIDI too). Being also a vocalist, I can sing your lyrics or write lyrics for you, or just add a vocalization in different styles. I can also score your film or a video game.
Music has been running in my family for many generations. I started playing piano when I was four years old and have had greatest teachers, including my own grandmother and my dad, who introduced me to the magic of improvising and playing by ear. In the recent years I released three original sheet music books for solo piano, fifteen original albums and also participated in several collaborative ones, winning multiple awards. I also scored a trailer, two documentaries, and a couple of games. My tastes and experience are eclectic: from classical, folk, blues, opera and Middle Eastern, to my soft spots for rock and jazz.
Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.
Credits
AllMusic verified credits for Milana ZilnikLanguages
- English
- Hebrew
- Russian
122 Reviews - 25 Repeat Clients
Endorse Milana Zilnik
check_circleVerifiedMilana was extremely efficient and an excellent communicator, asked relevant questions, and produced fantastic results. She went above and beyond to provide the most professional service, and even helped me with my Sibelius score. I would definitely select her again for future projects!
check_circleVerifiedAmazing. Just amazing. 5 stars all day.
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Third job with Milana. Difficult piano piece. Great result. Pleasant as always. More jobs are sure to come.
check_circleVerifiedThis was my second time working with Milana and man it was outstanding. How can she come up with gorgeous piano improvisations / melodies like this in a short time? She is a total pro and super nice to talk to. I could not be happier and I am looking forward to work with her again. Highly recommended!
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I had an absolute blast working with Milana. I was already a fan of her music so this made it extra special for me. She put a lot of passion, detail and love into this collaboration and I could not be happier. I only gave her a few basic references but she took the track to a whole other level. She delivered a gorgeous piano line that will make my track stand out. Highly recommended! Fantastic experience!
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Milana is excellent to work with! Great communications, talented, responsive -- I expect to much more work with her in the future.
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After months of trying to find someone to score my short silent film, I struck Gold with Milana. She immediately understood the theme that I was going for, contributing some great suggestions as well. Her communication was prompt and if she told me that she would have something done in three days, she would get it to me in less than 1 day. Milana's well crafted and well mixed score truly elevated my film and I would strongly suggest you consider working with her as well.
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So good. Beautiful player. Good correspondence as well! Will definitely hire again!
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Absolutely brilliant- Milana is incredibly talented (especially adept at composition, no surprise) and she works quickly. It is not often that you get such a talented musician, producer, AND a communications expert in a single package ; ) Would definitely recommend this service if you're looking for expressive and dynamic playing, or in need of an expert composer.
check_circleVerifiedI just got an absolute knockout of a performance on my 1st 2 takes! stellar communication and an all around 5 star experience. Milans skills show not only her deep understanding of piano and keys, But a complete mastery of all the elements in a song, whether on her instrument of choice, or any other. HIGHLY RECCOMEND!
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Milana provided me with the greatest song writing experience of my life. It was my honor. Thank you Milana:)) It’s beautiful:)
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Milana delivered an absolutely stunning vocal performance. Very easy to work with, quick turnaround and high-quality recording.
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Magical artist and truly greatest musical experience I have ever had. Milana is a true master musician . I hope to create more with her very soon.
check_circleVerifiedI truly get excited when I have a project where Milana and I can work together. She is able to dial into what I need quickly. I've worked with her several times before, and there's a reason why she is marked as one of my favorites. Great creativity, and very responsive.
check_circleVerifiedMilana did an amazing job with the piano part I needed-and did it by ear! Her style is so emotive and beautiful. A real pleasure to work with! Thank you Milana! :)
check_circleVerified (Client)Fantastic working with Milana. Beautiful jazz waltz perfect for upright bass and right up my alley. Well recorded and produced, super easy to work with. Oh and she provided a chord chart! More of that please!
check_circleVerifiedAbsolute fantastic musician and piano player. She understood exactly what I wanted and made a beautiful piano interpretation of my song in a very short time. Thanks so much Milana!
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Milana is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is a fantastic piano player and immediately understands what the track needs.
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That´s what I wrote to Milana after she had finished our 2nd project:
"What can I say: "again, just perfect". Chapeau grande!" 
check_circleVerifiedMilana is a fantastic musician and a true pro!
Interview with Milana Zilnik
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: An acoustic or a digital recording? Is there a score? What genre and style (e.g. more chords or more melodies, repetitive or free, etc)? Are there any existing songs, which sound similar?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: To save time on the back and forth communication, please include all the details with your request: acoustic piano or sampled one, the genre, the style, the structure, the bpm, whether you have the score (if not then the list of chords), what other instruments are there in your composition. All this helps to estimate the effort and provide you with the accurate quote from the beginning.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is piano improvisation: taking some simple melodies and extending them into a full composition on the fly.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: The feeling, the emotion.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Usually I ask many clarifying questions at first to get the exact picture of what client wants, then I record 2-3 quick rough takes and send them back, asking which version the client likes the best. Once I get the answer, I produce the final version by polishing the chosen take (fixing wrong notes, the timing, rerecording some parts and so on) and send it back to the client.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: An acoustic or a digital recording? Is there a score? What genre and style (e.g. more chords or more melodies, repetitive or free, etc)? Are there any existing songs, which sound similar?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: To save time on the back and forth communication, please include all the details with your request: acoustic piano or sampled one, the genre, the style, the structure, the bpm, whether you have the score (if not then the list of chords), what other instruments are there in your composition. All this helps to estimate the effort and provide you with the accurate quote from the beginning.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is piano improvisation: taking some simple melodies and extending them into a full composition on the fly.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: The feeling, the emotion.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Usually I ask many clarifying questions at first to get the exact picture of client wants, then I record 2-3 quick rough takes and send them back, asking which version the client likes the best. Once I get the answer, I produce the final version by polishing the chosen take (fixing wrong notes, the timing, rerecording some parts and so on) and send it back to the client.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. It really depends on the production and on the goals.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: A crossover between jazz, classical and soft-rock.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: All kinds ranging from middle-eastern to hip-hop, classical to jazz, cinematic soundtracks to alternative rocks.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: - Acoustic baby grand piano Kawai GE-30 with a stereo pair of Audio Technica 4041 mics and ART ProMPAII mic pre-amp in a studio treated with acoustic panels. An optional recording with an additional Rode NT1A mic for picking up lows. - Yamaha Clavinova digital piano / Korg SP250 keyboard. MIDI recording can be provided along with the synthesized WAV file, using various sampled pianos, including electric piano, organ or any other synth of your choice. - Stereo pair of Rode NT1A mics for recording lead and back vocals in an acoustically treated room. - Audio interface: Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 - Host computer: PC, 64GB RAM, 2TB HD + 1.5TB SSD (for sample libraries) - DAW: Pro Tools 12, Propellerhead Reason 8, Native Instrument Komplete 10 Ultimate.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Recording acoustic and digital piano for songs, composing original soundtracks for short films and advertisements.
I was the Pianist, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, orchestrator in this production
- "For Bach" / "Frozen Song" / "Dream of a Child" / "Dark Affairs" / "Exotic Vocalizzo" / "Underwater Nocturne" / "The Snow Queen Waltz" by Milana Zilnik
- "Distant Memories" by Milana Zilnik
- Liebestraume No 3 (F. Liszt)
- PianoAverage price - $200 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $150 per song
- Singer - FemaleAverage price - $200 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $200 per song
- Film ComposerAverage price - $300 per minute
2-3 days turnaround for digital recordings, 7-10 days for acoustic piano. 2-3 revisions included. Full re-writes at additional cost.
- Tori Amos
- Sarah McLachlan
- Nina Simone
- Acoustic baby grand piano Kawai GE-30
- AKG414 XLII
- stereo pairs of AT4041 and Rode NT1A mics
- Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 audio interface
- Pro Tools 12 & Propellerhead Reason 8
- Native Instruments Komplete 13
