Natalia Lvovna "Natasha" Vlassenko (Russian: Ната́лья Льво́вна Вла́сенко; born 20 November 1956) is a Russian-Australian pianist and teacher.

Life

Natasha Vlassenko was born in Moscow,

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

, to pianist Lev Nikolaevich Vlassenko and English teacher Mikaella Yakovlevna Krutatsovskaya. Vlassenko was a graduate of Moscow Central Music School under Eleonora Musaelyan. She studied in the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

under the famous pianist and teacher

Yakov Flier Yakov Vladimirovich Flier (russian: Я́ков Влади́мирович Флие́р; , 1912 – December 18, 1977; last name also spelled Fliere or Fliyer) was a Jewish Russians, Russian concert pianist and teacher. Flier was born in Ore ...

. After his death, she continued her postgraduate studies in the class of Flier's pupil professor Lev Vlassenko. She began her artistic career as a soloist of the

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953. It is most associated wit ...

. She commenced her pedagogic activities as a piano teacher in the Central Music School. In 1977, she won third prize at the International Beethoven Competition in Vienna. In 1985, she went on to win third prize at the

Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bolzano, Italy. It was founded in 1949 by Cesare Nordio in memory of the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. History The fir ...

in Bolzano, Italy. At present, Vlassenko resides in Australia. She is Head of Keyboard at the

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservatori ...

. Many of her students have become prizewinners of national and international competitions and professors in music high schools in the United States, Ireland and Australia. In 1999, Vlassenko and her husband Oleg Stepanov co-founded the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition in memory of her father Lev Vlassenko. Vlassenko and Stepanov have since taken up the roles of artistic directors of the piano competition. The competition is the only major piano event in Australia that mirrors the requirements of an international competition and is held in Brisbane every two years since 1999. Vlassenko has performed in Russia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan, New Zealand, China, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries. She has performed under the batons of many conductors such as

Gennady Rozhdestvensky Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky, CBE (russian: Генна́дий Никола́евич Рожде́ственский; 4 May 1931 – 16 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian conductor. Biography Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. H ...

Karl Österreicher Karl Österreicher (3 January 1923 – 11 March 1995) was an Austrian conductor and music teacher. Life Born in Rohrbach an der Gölsen, Lower Austria, Austrian studied clarinet as well as conducting with Hans Swarowsky, later also with Alfr ...

, Karl Martin,

Mikhail Pletnev Mikhail Vasilievich Pletnev (russian: Михаи́л Васи́льевич Плетнёв, ''Mikha'il Vas'ilevič Plet'nëv''; born 14 April 1957) is a Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Life and career Pletnev was born into a musical fa ...

Vladimir Verbitsky Vladimir Igoryevich Verbitsky (russian: Владимир Игоревич Вербицкий; born 1943) is a Soviet and Australian conductor. He was born in Leningrad. He studied piano and conducting at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He has ...

Richard Hickox Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. Early life Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Gram ...

Edvard Tchivzhel Edvard Tchivzhel (Russian: Эдвард Чивжель) (pronounced CHIV-gel) (b. January 29, 1944) is a Russian-born conductor and music director of the

Veronika Dudarova Veronika Borisovna Dudarova (; os, Дудараты Барисы чызг Вероникæ; January 15, 2009) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, the first woman to succeed as conductor of symphony orchestras in the 20th century. She became a cond ...

and

John Curro John Ronald Curro (6 December 1932 – 6 November 2019) was an Australian violinist, violist, conductor and music director. Curro was the founder (1966) and Director of Music of the Queensland Youth Orchestras, with which he established the Nati ...

. She has recorded a number of CDs in Russia and Australia and is a distinguished artist on the Master Performers record label. Vlassenko was awarded the Medal of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlassenko, Natasha 1956 births Living people Russian women pianists Russian classical pianists Australian classical pianists Australian women pianists Musicians from Moscow Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Prize-winners of the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition Russian expatriates in Australia Academic staff of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University 21st-century classical pianists Women classical pianists 21st-century women pianists