My story with the piano began when my mother asked me, “Do you want to play?”
My answer “Yes” changed the course of my life. I was five years old and had no idea what I was signing up for. My mother is also a pianist, and she was my first teacher. She says my hands were well-positioned from the very beginning, that I was focused and musical. Still, I don’t remember ever being particularly drawn to music; I simply accepted it as a fact: I was a pianist. Only years later did I start to feel genuine enjoyment in it, a joy I discovered on my own through the interaction between the body and the instrument.
I studied at the Central Music School at the Conservatory in Dnipro (Ukraine), got good grades, took part in competitions, and later entered the local music college, graduating with honors. After that, I was accepted on a scholarship to the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow. When the war began, I transferred to Stuttgart (Germany), where I completed my Bachelor’s degree.
It has always been a very challenging path for me. I showed good results on stage, but mostly thanks to extremely long hours of practice, not because I knew how to practice effectively or what to do to achieve results. I had endless questions about technique and almost always felt insecure while performing. I was constantly searching for answers. Over the years, I studied with many musicians: renowned professors, teachers from different institutions, private tutors, and fellow students. These experiences took many forms, from one-time masterclasses to long-term lessons.
Here are the teachers who played the most significant roles in my musical journey: Elena Shpringer, Natalia Chesnokova, Liubov Liutko, Elena Strikovskaia, Galina Minsker, Iliza Safarova, Tatiana Bezmenova, and Rafael Gutierrez-Velez.
I’m endlessly grateful to them! At the same time, I kept searching on my own. I thought deeply about everything. I asked questions, read literature, and spent countless hours at the piano experimenting and creating exercises for myself. Playing was often physically uncomfortable for me, so I tried to understand why, and that’s how I eventually came to focus on this subject more than anything else.
When I began teaching, I realized that many of my students had the same struggles, and that the discoveries I made for myself truly worked and helped others. And as for my own journey, it continues! I invite you to join me, so follow me on social media and stay connected!
My story with the piano began when my mother asked me, “Do you want to play?”
My answer “Yes” changed the course of my life. I was five years old and had no idea what I was signing up for. My mother is also a pianist, and she was my first teacher. She says my hands were well-positioned from the very beginning, that I was focused and musical. Still, I don’t remember ever being particularly drawn to music; I simply accepted it as a fact: I was a pianist. Only years later did I start to feel genuine enjoyment in it, a joy I discovered on my own through the interaction between the body and the instrument.
I studied at the Central Music School at the Conservatory in Dnipro (Ukraine), got good grades, took part in competitions, and later entered the local music college, graduating with honors. After that, I was accepted on a scholarship to the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow. When the war began, I transferred to Stuttgart (Germany), where I completed my Bachelor’s degree.
It has always been a very challenging path for me. I showed good results on stage, but mostly thanks to extremely long hours of practice, not because I knew how to practice effectively or what to do to achieve results. I had endless questions about technique and almost always felt insecure while performing. I was constantly searching for answers. Over the years, I studied with many musicians: renowned professors, teachers from different institutions, private tutors, and fellow students. These experiences took many forms, from one-time masterclasses to long-term lessons.
Here are the teachers who played the most significant roles in my musical journey: Elena Shpringer, Natalia Chesnokova, Liubov Liutko, Elena Strikovskaia, Galina Minsker, Iliza Safarova, Tatiana Bezmenova, and Rafael Gutierrez-Velez.
I’m endlessly grateful to them! At the same time, I kept searching on my own. I thought deeply about everything. I asked questions, read literature, and spent countless hours at the piano experimenting and creating exercises for myself. Playing was often physically uncomfortable for me, so I tried to understand why, and that’s how I eventually came to focus on this subject more than anything else.
When I began teaching, I realized that many of my students had the same struggles, and that the discoveries I made for myself truly worked and helped others. And as for my own journey, it continues! I invite you to join me, so follow me on social media and stay connected!