Svetlana Belsky

Born in the Soviet Union, Svetlana Belsky began piano lessons at the age of seven, and was soon performing in the major concert halls of her native Kiev. Her playing has been critically acclaimed as "passionate," "impressive," "hypnotic" and ". . . (possessing) a high degree of musical maturity and sensitivity."

 

After immigrating to the United States, Ms. Belsky studied with Chicago's beloved Emilio Del Rosario. She received her Bachelor of Music Summa cum Laude and Master Degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Ann Schein, a student of the legendary Arthur Rubinstein. Later, she earned her Doctorate in Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, while working under Mme. Nina Svetlanova, an heir to the tradition of Heinrich Neuhaus.

 

Although she trained mainly in the United States, Svetlana Belsky has an unmistakably Russian temperament and tonal gift, with which she combines her stylistic versatility and love for a wide variety of music. She has played early music with original instrument ensembles, and received awards for her interpretation of new American works, performing the New York premiere of 3 Evocations by Jay Weigel in Weill Recital Hall as a result. Recently, she has had the honor of premiering the works of a number of living composers, including April Mok, Gia Comolli, Jeffrey Hoover and William White.

 

Dr. Belsky has won prizes in numerous national and international piano competitions, including the Frinna Awerbuch and the AMSA World Piano Competition.

 

Ms. Belsky has been active as a recitalist and chamber performer throughout the United States, in concert and on the radio. In the past few seasons alone, she has performed with the University of Chicago Symphony, Southern Illinois Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Tutti Orchestra. Her solo and chamber credits include the Dame Myra Hess Series, numerous university concert series, Mostly Music, Southern Illinois Summer Festival, Chicago Cultural Center and many others.

 

Ms. Belsky's busy teaching schedule includes students from four continents, many of whom are competition winners, professional musicians and performers themselves. Her students have gone on to pursue musical careers, win scholarships to music conservatories, and, most importantly, become music lovers.  Dr. Belsky is the Coordinator of Piano Studies at the University of Chicago. In this capacity, besides teaching individual lessons and coaching chamber ensembles, she organizes student performances and masterclasses. She is also in great demand as a lecturer on the subjects of piano pedagogy, masterclass guest teacher, and competition adjudicator. Dr. Belsky has written numerous CD liner notes for Russian Disc, as well as her Doctoral dissertation, an annotated translation of Busoni as a Pianist by the renowned Russian musicologist Grigori Kogan.