Marina Vasilieva Starostenkova Osman (; born 1965 in

Polotsk Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

), is a Belarusian classical and jazz concert pianist.

Biography

Early life and studies

Marina Vasilieva was born in 1965 in

Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 1922 as an independent state, and ...

, in a family of musicians. After moving to

Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...

in the

Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...

, Starostenkova started her music studies in 1980 at Murmansk College of Arts (former Murmank Music School), entering a piano class. In 1984, she graduated with distinction after completing the full academic course in the speciality ''

fortepiano A fortepiano is an early piano. In principle, the word "fortepiano" can designate any piano dating from the invention of the instrument by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1700 up to the early 19th century. Most typically, however, it is used to ref ...

'' and was given the qualification of teacher of a music school and concertmaster. She entered the Belarusian State Academy of Music in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

in the speciality ''fortepiano'' in the class of professor Leonid Petrovich Yushkevich in which she stayed until 1990.

Career

Whilst she studied in

, from 1989, she became a piano teacher and concertmaster in Novopolotsk State Musical College in

Novopolotsk Novopolotsk or Navapolatsk (, ; , ) is a city in Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus. Founded in 1958, it is located close to the city of Polotsk and the name literally means "New Polotsk". In 2008, its population was 107,458. As of 2025, it has a populatio ...

. She was granted the higher pedagogical and concertmaster categories in 1993. She worked from 1989 to 2010 at Novopolotsk State Musical College and prepared 40 students including her daughter, Yulia Starostenkova, to enter the Belarusian State Academy of Music, and at other musical superior institutions and colleges in Russia and

. Yulia Starostenova won 2nd prize at Chopin republican contest in 2005. Some of her students entered the German universities of

Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe The Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe () is a college of music in Karlsruhe, Germany. Originally the Baden Conservatory of Music, it was elevated to a Hochschule under the direction of Franz Philipp, who led the school from 1924 to 1942. Studies ...

and Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt. Most of her students were laureates of the music contest for young interpreters of music for the piano, interregional piano contest (Vitebsk), regional contest in

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...

(1997),

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

(2005, 2006),

(2007),

Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...

(2009) and made "a huge historical and creative contribution to development of the college". N. Kushnarova and Marina Starostenkova were laureate of the republican contest of creative works forming a duet. She was a member of the jury of the third International Chamber ensemble competition "Nova Musica" in

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

. Starostenkova took part in concerts both in

and Russia, and also in jazz festivals in Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Russia in 2009. In September of the same year, she was invited to Moscow to participate in radio recordings of Swedish violinist 's radio programs at radio Orpheus a Russian classical music station, before continuing to give concerts in December 2009 in Moscow with him and Andreï Chistyakov. : Now in England, Marina Osman frequently gives concerts at the

Pushkin House The Pushkin House (), formally the Institute of Russian Literature (), is a research institute in St. Petersburg. It is part of a network of institutions affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences. History Establishment The Russian Lite ...

in London and has given

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

and

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

lessons since 2011. Marina Osman participates in the music band

Kara Kara or KARA may refer to: Geography Localities * Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture * Kára, Hungary, a village * Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township * Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province * Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in ...

and gives concerts with the band as a pianist. In 2019, Marina Osman has won the 2019 Folking awards in the "Best musician" category.

Awards and diplomas

Starostenkova has been awarded: * The lapel badge of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus for the contribution to the cultural evolution of Belarus (Certificate n° 648 by the order of the ministry of Culture of the republic of Belarus n° 91 from 12 November 2008) * The diploma of the Republic of Belarus Ministry of Culture for exquisite concertmaster skills at an international contest for string instruments in

Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...

in 2006 * Diploma for exquisite concertmaster skills at the Republic's open contest of folk instruments in Grodno (2009)

Films

In 2008, Starostenkova was invited to

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

to shoot the film ''Ad Libitum'' with musicologist and violinist Andreï Chistyakov.

References

External links

Official site of Orpheus radio
*

Videos

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Osman, Marina Living people Belarusian classical pianists Belarusian jazz pianists Belarusian women pianists Women jazz pianists Women classical pianists 1965 births 21st-century classical pianists Belarusian music educators Belarusian women music educators