The Winner of 2006 International Web Concert Hall
Competition
Tell us about your musical background.
 When
I was 5 years old, my parents bought me an upright piano - which
had an excellent sound. Although my mother is not a
musician, she had her own idea about her daughter pounding away with
the newly bought instrument. I did not study
any other
muscial instruments other than piano; however, in addition to learning a
piano, I also learned to skate, dance and team gymnastics.
Over the period of time, I found out I was passionately fond of the piano; I
still remember the great joy of being able to construct a phrase in a
certain way and discovering unique sounds from the instrument. I sometimes used to wake up
middle of night in order to repeat how I felt inside of myself by
playing the piano... I really can say
that I had a very
rich and happy childhood.. and this is
my root and the answer to my existence.
Who
are your teachers?
I think you are born with
certain inclinations and it is only up to you to develop them. A wrong
guide, however, may be misleading.... some times. I had a marvellous
guidance throughout my learning years and therefore I consider myself very lucky.
When I was starting the piano,
I took private lessons from a teacher who may be considered in expert in
teaching children, Asya Markova, who lives in Albany at the moment. I
remember when I was studying “Rondò-capriccioso” by Mendelssohn - then,
I was ten years old. All of sudden, it all came together... and I
understood everything, I understood the phrase, the breath, visual
experiences - I was like a sponge and wanted to learn more and more...
all such was possible because of her.
The most incredible experience of my musical life has been meeting
Maestro Margarius, who was the favourite pupil of Regina Horowitz,
Vladimir’s sister. I was literally overwhelmed by his wisdom and his
total dedication to music. Having a teacher like him has been a great
fortune. He now teaches at the Accademia of Imola and in his class,
there are 25 winners of first and second prizes of the most important
international competitions, like Bruxelles, Santander, etc. His total
dedication to music and constant widening of his knowlege are really
admirable.
As a
whole, I do not consider my private life and my professional life as
separate, but whole. My musical life is a source of great
satisfaction because a human being gets a sense of fulfilment from it.
One’s private life is equally important because you can work better
by receiving love and warmth from your family. The qualities of my
teacher that I appreciate the most is honesty, and his almost maniacal
meticulousness, his sense of responsibility and dedication - but
everything is done with a great joy and constant widening of the knowledge
of our subject because we are musicians and are happy to be such.
How did your friend, parents, etc. influence you as a
musician?
 We
learn all the time. Human beings are very strange: we have everything
within us and have been unlocked for centuries. And some books, some people, nature, at a simple
glance seem unknown and also familiar at the same time ... little by
little we unlock and feel there is something new, a new discovery each
time we unlock. My
mother was extraordinary person, she used to read poems to me, she took me to
museums and picturesque places all over the Soviet Union to develop my
sensitivity and my love for the arts. When I was 12 and played the second
sonata by Chopin, one early morning my mother took me to the cemetery
and made me notice a light breeze blowing over the tombs so that I could
understand the fourth movement - I still remember the shiver running
through me. You learn all the time.... but in a way that is very personalized.
I think that people are like instruments to
make us understand our existence in the name of life and in the love and
harmony of the universe.
Do you teach?
I have been teaching at the
Piano Academy of Imola since 2001
What do you mostly emphasize to your students and why?
I
tell my students that the piano is a noble instrument, you cannot pound on it,
you have to sing with it. I tell them not to be the only player but
whole
person by reading as much as one can and be curious about life and about
music... also, it is very important to understand that technique is a
tool that is only a means to express one’s ideas
better, and that the greater their talent, the harder thay have to work.
Do you have a practicing method you follow everyday?
As a
child I used to study 7-10 hours a day. Above all the technique; it was
almost an animal pleasure to be able to make my fingers work to
perfection. Now I am more concerned about style, about aesthetic
perfection. I do not follow any particular method, I just start working and
aim for quality than quantity. There are times when one page of music
requires a whole day of work or more.
How do you prepare yourself on the day of performance?
The
best thing is to be prepared a long before the concert, a month before,
and know exactly what you want and why. Then the day of the concert is
like a liberation; in order to face it, in my head I
go through the notes I have taken before, I try to sleep and eat
proteins and potassium.
How much or often do you practice basic (tone production,
breathing, etc.)? If so, what kind of basic do you practice?
I do
not practice basic, I practice music directly. I play for the moment.
How do you select repertoire for your recital?
I play what I like and what
I want.
How do you select repertoire for your concerto
performance?
My
heart usually guides me on this.
Do you perform regularly these days? If so, how many
concerts do you have a year?
I
play when I am convinced and happy. I am more interested in quality than
quantity. I hope to discover a continent I do not know but where my
relatives live ... like America.
What period music do you enjoy playing most and why?
It
depends on my mood. Now I adore playing Mozart and Schumann.
In your opinion, what is your strength in your playing?
The
ability to tell stories and make people follow me in my reveries.
What do you hope to accomplish as a musician?
Never
to lose my curiosity and mental vitality.
Do you like any other forms of art? such as painting? a
favorite writer? Tell us about it.
I am
very fond of reading, I visit museums regularly (I like Monet and
Vermeer) and I adore cooking (I am in a country where people know all
about food) and I think that this is a form of art too. I like to try
new recipes, to combine the various ingredients, I find it very
relaxing. I like hiking in the mountains, I sometimes climb
breath-taking slopes! And I like the cinema very much, my favourite
directors are Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.
What do you like to read? And why?
Yes I
am very fond of reading, it is like having a psychoanalyst at home, like
having friends among the characters of a book, like analyzing life: at
times books make you dream. I have no precise preferences, it depends on
the moment.
What are some of your recent reading?
The novel by Luigi
Pirandello “Uno, nessuno e centomila” (“One, None and a Hundred
Thousand”), his last novel, the outcome of a long gestation, full of
questions that the protagonists asks the reader directly, to involve him
in a “universal” story, a summary of all the activity - fiction and
theatre - of the author. He lets you see how an image is relative for
everyone, and how individual is everyone’s opinion about the same thing;
like in art there is no way of measuring the absolute. The absolute is
very relative.
You won two international
competition at very young age...
I was
clever, responsible and determined. My age did not matter, I was ready
to participate. I was 16 years old. I liked winning and I was an
incorrigible dreamer.
After winning, what
happened?
I
used to live in Ukraine and since 1995, I have been living in Italy.
Maestro Margarius had told me I had to take part in an important
competition, because the higher the level, more they will
appreciate you as an artist. We worked very hard for two months. I did not think I
would win, my only concern was about music and what I had to play. After
winning I was engaged for 60 concerts, and travelling all over Italy I
fell in love with this beautiful country, and decided to move here.
Imola was the best place to begin living on my own. Maestro Scala, the
director and founder of the Academy had enrolled me “Ad honorem”. I
moved there not only to grow up but also because I had problems with the
visas in my country and had had to cancel several engagements, like 5
concerts in Chicago, Berkeley, etc, to mention only some.
You also attended a special
school where you were growing up...
It
was an exceptional school. Every pupil (we were 400) was entitled to
40 hours a month with a music teacher. Apart from junior and high school
we had to study Harmony, Composition, Chamber Music and Music
Literature. Tuition was completely free. A concentrate of energy of
very smart young people and a wonderful organization
In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a good
performer?
A
balance of health, talent, technique, education and commitment.
How did you learn English?
I learned English by myself... and I speak three
languages: Italian, Russian and English
Do you have any concert engagements in far East?
In
2000 I was in Japan, I liked very much both the country and the people,
who are very kind and very professional too.
How many hours do you practice in average these days?
4 to 6 hours,
Do you perform any chmber
music...
From
time to time; if there is the right musical feeling you get a wonderful
sensation.
MOL: On be half of
MusicalOnline, we would like to thank you for your time and we wish all the success.
 
Interviewed by
MusicalOnline on October, 2006
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