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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!


 

Links to my students' performances:

http://youtu.be/4Pu6AaexUmk - L.v.Beethoven, 32 variation

http://youtu.be/ytAtIwfQ8YA  - J.S.Bach Prelude & Fugue in D-dur

http://youtu.be/A5cT0fLD7pE - S.V.Rachmaninoff Prelude Cis-moll

http://youtu.be/15Uy_hu1DvM   -S.V.Rachmaninoff Elegy

http://youtu.be/5_GLQ_lRJJY  -G.Gershwin Rialto Ripples

http://youtu.be/Y5A9YNhJf4M - piano student as a collaborative pianist

http://youtu.be/gV50uyZlvgI  end year concert (sample fragments)  http://youtu.be/u8UvVw0Sok0   end year concert (sample fragments)

http://youtu.be/G0nmwlbOAjM- F.Chopin ScherzoN2

http://youtu.be/NkmGm8Qoj5g  F.Schubert Sonata A-minor

http://youtu.be/5dtT6UzQ2w4  R.Schumann Des Abends

After the concert in the Netherlands

               At the choir camp

O,Canada for Tiger Cats, Hamilton

                 Hamilton  Children's choir, Concert choir

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