Piano

Oxana Yablonskaya was born in Moscow. From ages six through sixteen, she attended The Moscow Central School for the Gifted under the tutelage of Anaida Sumbatyan (who also taught Vladimir Ashkenazy). Later she studied with Aleksandre Goldenweiser. Finally, at the age of 22, she began a professional relationship with Tatiana Nikolayeva, later acting as her assistant at the Moscow Conservatory. Following graduation she was introduced to the Western World by way of the Jaques Long-Thibaud Competition in 1963, the Rio de Janeiro Competition in 1965, and the Vienna Beethoven Competition in 1969. She won top prizes in all three competitions, and received scores of invitations for return engagements, but was not allowed to do so.

Despite the reputation she had earned within the Soviet Union and despite being a prize winner of three international competitions, she was never permitted to play outside the Eastern Bloc. Yet, she recorded for the Melodya label and held the prestigious title of Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic along with artists such as Richter, Gilels and Rostropovich. Outstanding solo performances with the Bolshoi Orchestra, the Moscow Stars series, and the Shostakovich 65th Birthday Celebration Concert were confirmation of her Star status.

In 1975, desperate over constant restraints on her personal and artistic freedom, she applied for a visa to emigrate, lost her position as a Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, and was deprived of all concert engagements. She waited more than two years for a visa and finally, thanks to a petition signed by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, she was allowed to leave with her father and young son.

Arriving in New York in 1977, unknown, unheralded, and not having touched a piano in more than two years, Miss Yablonskaya made her first New York appearance in recital at Alice Tully Hall only four months later, receiving all-out acclaim from the press. Her Carnegie Hall debut recital the following October was filled to the rafters, and she has since taken her place among the major pianists of the world.

Once considered the best kept secret of the Soviet Union, Oxana Yablonskaya has now performed in more than forty countries with many of the finest symphony orchestras and conductors.

In 1990, after a 13 year absence, Miss Yablonskaya returned to Russia for a sold-out concert, master classes and recitals at the Moscow Conservatory. Since then she has returned on a regular basis and is once more recognized as an elite piano virtuoso within Soviet Russia.

Oxana Yablonskaya solo recordings have been awarded the Grand Prix du Disque from the International Liszt Society, and have been featured by The Book Of The Month Club. Her recent recordings include critically acclaimed versions of works by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. She frequently collaborates in performance and on recordings with her son, renowned cellist/conductor, Dmitry Yablonsky.

Miss Yablonskaya has held a faculty position at The Juilliard School for many years. She also travels widely giving master classes at the most distinguished conservatories throughout the world, and serves on the juries of numerous international piano competitions.

From 2005 Oxana has become Vice-President and Music Director of Chopin Society of New York. She is Artistic Director of Duxbury Music Festival in Massachusets. She is also Artistic Advisor of Yamaha Master Classes in New York. In 2006 Oxana Yablonskaya has received Honorary Academician title of the International Academy of the Arts at the United Nations, International Academy of the Arts in San Francisco and Independent Academy of Liberal Arts in Moscow. Oxana will serve as the President of the Jury at the International Lev Vlasenko Piano Competition in Brisbane, Australia in August of 2007 and as a member of the Jury at the Beethoven Piano Competiton in Bonn in December of 2007. She will also serve as the member of the jury at the Liszt International Piano Competition in Utrecht, Holland in 2008.

January 2008

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