Dr. Svetlana Belsky is a concert pianist, recording artist, author, and above all, an enthusiastic teacher and lecturer. Her areas of expertise is Baroque pedagogy, the pianistic and compositional legacy of Ferruccio Busoni and the music of early 20th century.
I have been remarkably blessed with my teachers, who between them, define American piano pedagogy to a great extent. During high school, I studied with Chicago’s beloved Emilio del Rosario, who endowed all his students with a profound belief that, with sufficient work, nothing is ever impossible. My undergraduate and Master’s studies were with Anne Schein, who taught me to love music with all of my heart. I received my Doctorate under Nina Svetlanova, who taught me to really listen, analyse, think, and create worlds in sound.
My philosophy of teaching is that every aspiring musician’s potential is greater than they think it is.
I am most proud of my work on the legacy of Ferruccio Busoni, my book, my various performances, CDs and lectures about him. I am also rather pleased with winning the American Prize in Solo Piano in 1919 for my CD of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in a solo piano version by V. Leyetchkiss.
Too many favourite performers to count. Maurizio Pollini was the first pianist I fell in love with. The late Yuri Egorov was the one I mourned the most when the world lost him.
If I had to choose a humanitarian project it would be one quite outside of music – my charitable contributions always go to childrens’ hospitals and organisations which support injured veterans and first responders.