Ila Cantor was raised in New York, the daughter of an author and a filmmaker. She was a devoted visual artist throughout school, but in her mid-teens she became infatuated with the guitar. Following early graduation from high school she moved to New York City to play and study music, but after attending the New School University for a year Ila decided to forgo a formal education to study music on her own. Her desire to experience a new culture, language, and life brought her to Barcelona, where she taught guitar, played gigs, and learned how to be a band- leader.

Her mentors have been the biggest contribution to her musical learning. Some include guitarists: John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Ben Monder, Steve Cardenas; bassists: Reid Anderson, Ben Street; composer: Guillermo Klein and several others. She also accredits Bob Hansmann, one of her first guitar teachers who worked with her technique and classical repertoire, as well as basic music concepts, jazz theory, and common guitar history and knowledge. Ila strongly believes in seeking inspiration and accessing musical knowledge through friends and mentors.

In 2006, Ila recorded her first album, Mother Nebula, under her own name on the Spanish jazz label: Fresh Sound New Talent. Besides the many spontaneous projects that she partakes in, Ila leads her original jazz trio, The Trapezoids, with whom she will record next. She continues with her quartet and an electronic project (FacilaT) from Barcelona, and is the recent, replacement guitarist in the cabaret band: The Lascivious Biddies. She has played extensively with gypsy-jazz virtuoso, Stephane Wrembel and works with numerous other jazz, rock, and experimental musicians in NY and around the US.