Anastasia as a Teacher and a Musician

Anastasia dedicates her time and knowledge to teaching piano to children and adults. As with performance, she delivers only the highest standards of piano education. Her philosophy is that learning to play a musical instrument helps people, especially children, to develop important personal qualities –the sense of discipline, mental concentration, physical coordination, imagination, emotional sensitivity, memory and the expression of self. Anastasia’s goal is to help each student realize his or her full potential.

Anastasia believes that consistent and mindful piano practice cultivates the habit of hard work as a way to achieve results.  In her piano class children are trained to work toward a long-term goal.

During her piano lessons Anastasia focuses on shaping and promoting each student’s individuality. Her goal is to help each of her students realize his or her full potential. She believes it is important to discover talent at an early age and to facilitate musical creativity and interest in piano for life.

Education

Raised by parents and grandparents who were both physicians and musicians, Anastasia began her musical studies at the age of seven.  A year later she entered the  Specialized school of Music attached to the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory  http://istud.conservatory.ru  in her native city of Saint Petersburg, Russia.  Anastasia received an extremely strong piano and overall music education, as she has studied in one of the leading music institutions in the world.

In addition to piano Anastasia was always interested in French language and culture. In 2001 she received a bachelor’s degree in French literature and history from Union College (Schenectady, NY).

In 2006 Anastasia obtained a double Master’s degree in French literature and Education from New York University.

In 2008 Anastasia completed a two years long Diploma program in Piano Performance at the Mannes College of Music (NYC).  In 2007, prior to dedicating herself exclusively to piano, Anastasia taught French language at the Morristown-Beard high school.

The Watson Fellowship – Study of a Musical Child Prodigy

In 2001 Anastasia received the Watson Fellowship (www.watsonfellowship.org)—an award, which allowed her to spend one year in Europe exploring a project of a personal choice.  Her project focused on the study of a cultural phenomenon of a Musical Child Prodigy in Europe.  During her Watson fellowship  Anastasia lived and worked on her project in Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia, England and France. She interviewed several musicians who were Wunderkinder in the past.  These interviews deepened Anastasia’s interest in child’s psychology and in learning processes involved in the development of a young musician.

Passion for Music

While in music school, Anastasia joined the Uventa children’s choir.  With the choir she participated in the several tours in Europe.  One of the most memorable trips was to Vienna on Christmas of 1991, where the choir was invited by the Austrian television to sing at the international charity campaign called “Light in the Darkness”.  Another unforgettable series of concerts took place in 1993 at the International festival of music in Nancy, France, where the choir was awarded with a special diploma for a “Brilliant Performance”. In the years of 1995 and 1996 the choir toured in the Northern United States.   The choir had a very extensive repertoire, mostly focusing on Catholic and Russian Orthodox choral music.   Singing in choir deepened Anastasia’s fascination and devotion to music.  She remembers the years spent touring and performing in  cathedrals and concert halls of Europe as among the best in her life. Anastasia will always be grateful to her teachers and  parents who exposed her to the beauty of music and helped her to have the most amazing childhood.