Digital Pianofest Concert, No.3
Alumni Snapshot: Margarita Shevchenko
in Conversation with Zsolt Bognár
At Pianofest, we are proud of our broad reach of musicians who have benefitted from the impact of the festival, and this increasingly includes alumni returning to guest teach the new generation of Pianofest student performers, alongside Paul Schenly. Margarita Shevchenko attended Pianofest in 1995, and has gone on to a distinguished and award-winning career as teacher and performer. She won prizes at several major international competitions, including the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Cleveland International Piano Competition, and the Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel. Praised for her Chopin interpretations, she has also been the recipient of the Special "Chopin Prize" at five of those competitions in addition to the main prizes won.
She has toured throughout the world, giving recital and concerto performances in the United States, Canada, throughout Europe, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Israel and South Africa. She has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Miami International Piano Academy, and is currently on faculty at Michigan State University College of Music as Associate Professor of Piano, where she joined in 2016.
We recently caught up with her in a brief conversation.
Zsolt Bognár: How did you get into music? How did you choose piano?
Margarita Shevchenko: I didn’t choose the piano; the piano sort of chose me. It was the only instrument available at our house, and I started playing by ear children songs I heard at the preschool - I was about four. From that point on my parents decided to teach me piano. My mom, a ballet dancer, could play piano, and my grandmother was a piano teacher.
ZB: How did you first become involved with Pianofest, and how did it have an impact on you?
MS: When my husband Slava and I came to US from Russia to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Paul invited us to Pianofest in Hamptons. I studied with Sergei Babayan, and Slava with Paul Schenly during this period. These were probably the brightest memories of our first years in US. Not only were they saturated with music but we also made many friends and experienced a new fascinating life in a country that became our home. Today I am the proud mother of two boys as well!
ZB: What have you been up to these days during the quarantine? Are you able to continue your creative projects in some shape or form?
MS: I keep practicing and have a dream of recording an artistic video clip with some of the pieces that I’ve learned recently. Once venues are open again, I’m hoping to have a video set up and record a solo recital.
ZB: Is teaching continuing?
MS: The teaching has been continuing since the pandemic started, and I’ve taught my students from all parts of the globe and still do, including through an online format. At times it’s been pretty incredible to see something that I would’ve never even considered doing before - to be so effective. I’m happy to say that both myself and my students have witnessed significant results from such remote teaching.
ZB: What are your future dreams and projects?
MS: I’m planning to continue collaborating with my colleagues and playing solo. Hopefully judging live competitions will become a reality again at some point, so I can come to Cleveland and visit all my old time friends!
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The ingenuity of musicians, particularly our large family of Pianofest alums, has been particularly apparent in adapting to the changed world during the pandemic. This includes virtual performances, streaming content, Instagram and Facebook connectivity, and teaching, as well as creative collaborations and a period of new learning. Music has always been about striving for new horizons, and envisioning our best future through our most creative selves. From all of us at Pianofest, we wish you health and safety, and look forward to seeing you again soon! - Zsolt Bognár
Digital Pianofest Concert, No. 3, Featuring Maddalena and Jacopo Giacopuzzi
This newsletter comes with some new treats enclosed. In the past newsletters we have provided video highlights of archived performances. This time we have been given the opportunity to show you some newly recorded music. This consists of a recital very creatively recorded by two popular Pianofest alumni, sister and brother, Maddalena and Jacopo Giacopuzzi.
Jacopo recorded his part of the music in Santa Barbara, California, and Maddalena recorded hers in Verona, Italy.
The film begins with them introducing the pieces and the circumstances of its recording to the Pianofest audience. I'm very grateful to both of these cherished Pianofest alums sharing their beautiful and uniquely recorded recital with us.
- Paul Schenly
Consider a Gift to Pianofest
Pianofest is working hard to continue to serve its musical family during these challenging times. We look forward to your support now more than ever. We are not only preparing an enhanced online presence for our audience, but we are also trying to remain prepared to resume our normal schedule and activities once circumstances allow us to do so. Thank you in advance for your consideration.