Natalia has studied with some of the great classical artists of our time in Europe and the US with the hope of passing this knowledge and life long love of music to future generations. In fact, the lineage of her teachers can be traced all the way back to Beethoven. Her professors, Enrique Graf and Uta Weyand, studied with the renowned Leon Fleisher, who studied with Artur Schnable (one of the most famous pianists and pedagogues who made the first recording of all 32 Beethoven Sonatas, leading Harold Schonberg to call him “the man who invented Beethoven”). Schnable’s teachings are well-respected and sought after because he studied under the famous Leschetizky, student of Carl Czerny, who studied directly under Beethoven. Natalia also had the privilege to meet and attend masterclasses for several years under Maria Curcio, who was Schnabel’s student at the age of 15, referring to her as “one the greatest talents I have ever met.” Maria was Schnabel’s last student and she passed on his teachings, considered in accordance with Beethoven’s teachings, to her many students. Natalia is also dedicated to passing along the knowledge she gained from such great artists to as many students as she can.
In addition to the Austro-German school of thought, Natalia was greatly influenced by the “secret genius” of Ukranian-born pianist Vitalij Margulis. Her love and dedication to the Russian school of pianism is due to its meticulousness and relentless search for: expressing the meaning within the music, sound quality, tone color, imagination, and high level of piano technique that allows for a relaxed and fluid performance. Teaching proper technique at an early age, such as the use of arm weight and close attention to detail that requires active listening to what type of sound is being produced, nurtures a much higher level of musicianship and cognitive ability from our emerging artists.
With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher and performer, Natalia’s knowledge of a variety of pedagogy methods makes her just as comfortable teaching Schumann’s Kreisleriana to a college student as she is to using singing, solfege, and imagination as a way to teach difficult concepts to younger students. In addition to blending the Russian and German schools of piano performance, she has extensive experience with the Kodaly and Orff methods, solfege, the Suzuki method, Musikgarten, and Music for Young Children.
Her students regularly perform and many have won competitions, been accepted to prestigious music schools and conservatories, and chosen music as their profession. Most importantly, her students share her love of music and have a lifetime of enjoyment, appreciation, and self-expression through music.
