B i o g r a p h y

I wasn't that genius child who was involved in music from my birthday. My half sister took violin lessons and when I was 5-6 y. I decided that I also should be a violinist. To say honestly it was not because I wanted to learn how to play a violin, but I wanted such kind of attention from all my relatives that my sister had...My parents bought me a small violin and I took a few lessons but maybe because my violin wasn't good or I played in this way: I couldn't manage to listen those horrible, rasping sounds that my violin produced and very soon I decided to finish my career as a violinist.

When I was 8-9 y.o. my girlfriend told me that she started taking piano lessons! It was a huge deal for me: I didn't want to be behind and right away asked my parents if I can start taking piano lessons as well. This time they weren't in a hurry to by an instrument for me because piano was much more expensive than my violin...So I didn't have a piano, but I was allowed to practise on my girlfriend's instrument. It was a very exciting day for me when my parents finally decided to award me with my own piano!..

Then later it happened a usual story for many teens: I got bored to practise scales, studies... One day my dad took my teacher's notes and found out that I got a very bad mark for scales... Oh, it was a very serious conversation ... I tried to explain to my dad that it's too boring to exercise scales. The verdict was strict: if I don’t want to practise scales and studies my parents sell the piano...I knew that my dad always did what he said so I couldn't sleep for the whole night: I even didn't aware how much music became a part of me and I really was afraid to lose it!

Two years later I decided to go to music college (in Russia). It was not easy decision because my favourite subject in school was Math and I planned to pursue studying Math at University.. But Music finally took over and my professional music career began: Music College for 4 years and Bachelor degree in Singing, Novosibirsk State Conservatory (Russia) for 5 years and Master's Degree in Choral conducting, then later 3 years postgraduate studies in Moscow and PhD in Music Education…

I worked as a choir director, taught conducting, music theory/harmony and piano at Russian Universities and Music Colleges for more than 20 years and received many awards for successful teaching and performing (including from the USA, Netherlands and Russian Federal government). As a Choir Director, I toured with my choirs throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and the U.S.A. My chamber choir “Academy” received many international awards, worked with Bach-Academy (Stuttgart, Germany), was a guest choir for ACDA National Convention in Chicago, USA and received recognition as an outstanding international choir.

In Canada I am a Music Director and organist at St. Columba Anglican Church, St. Catharines and a conductor of the HCC Concert choir. I am also teaching piano, vocal and music theory (rudiments and harmony) as a registered RCM teacher. All my students show high results at various music festivals, competitions and RCM exams and some of them continue their music education at Universities, majoring in music.

I have prepared 5 projects with the Toronto Polish Choir for Roy Thompson Hall (with Toronto Gold Symphony Orchestra) and the Children’s Choir for the Festival of Lights (Niagara Falls). I have also worked as a pianist for the Polish choir in Oakville and performed as a collaborative pianist with soloists in the Niagara region.

I enjoy teaching music!!! I'm striving to give my students understanding of music elements ' relationship, to help them to discover their own interpretation of music compositions instead of just teaching them my interpretation. I believe the best method of teaching is for the teacher to ask the right question so the students can find the right answer for themselves- they own the answer. That's why I always apply to music theory and history working on any piano or vocal composition. I get very happy as a teacher when I see how my girls and boys become very confident and knowledgable performers!!!

I also try to provide an encouraging environment through my lessons that helps the students to release their creativity. Unfortunately we leave in the world of constant judgement and majority of us have a fear to make a mistake, to be not good enough... Sometimes we play a game "Go for mistakes" and "I am a contribution"! I see my main goal - to help my student to get more confident in life, to believe in themselves because when we believe in ourselves we can do everything!