Natalia Lvovna "Natasha" Vlassenko (

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Ната́лья Льво́вна Вла́сенко; born 20 November 1956) is a Russian-Australian pianist and teacher.

Life

Natasha Vlassenko was born in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, 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 Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory () is a higher musical educational institution located in Moscow, Russia. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in musical performance and musical research. Th ...

under the famous pianist and teacher

Yakov Flier Yakov Vladimirovich Flier (, 1912December 18, 1977) was a Soviet concert pianist and teacher. Flier was born in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Russia. Growing up, he first began teaching himself piano but soon began formal study with the pianist Sergei Ni ...

. 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 firs ...

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 (; 4 May 1931 – 16 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, pianist, composer, and pedagogue. Biography Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagog ...

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 Alfre ...

, Karl Martin,

Mikhail Pletnev Mikhail Vasilievich Pletnev (, ''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 family in Arkhangelsk, then part of the Soviet Union. His fath ...

, Vladimir Verbitsky,

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

, Edvard Tchivzhel,

Veronika Dudarova Veronika Borisovna Dudarova (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 conductor of the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in 1947, and le ...

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 Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the

2022 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlassenko, Natasha 1956 births Living people Russian classical pianists Russian women classical pianists Australian classical pianists Australian women classical 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 21st-century women pianists Moscow Conservatory alumni