“We are honored to have Ms. Elena Tsvetkova
as our Artist in Residence."
~ Ms. Elena is currently accepting students.
Please contact the school for available
lesson details. ~
About Elena: Elena Tsvetkova has been an Artist in Residence
with the Master’s Touch School of Music and
Performing Arts for over 3 years. She is a
graduate of The Mussorgsky Music College in St.
Petersburg, Russia and the State Conservatory,
St. Petersburg, Russia, both diplomas “With
Honor” (cum laude). She holds degrees in Piano
Performance and Piano Pedagogy, and has a
diploma of concert pianist. After graduating she
was appointed to the faculty as an Assistant
Piano Professor and a staff accompanist for all
the strings in the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
Ms.
Tsvetkova began performing on radio and
television broadcasts in Russia at the age of
ten. After graduating from the Conservatory, she
performed extensively as an accompanist for
instrumentalists of the St. Petersburg
Philharmonic Orchestra and vocalists in the St.
Petersburg Philharmonic Society, and has
collaborated with many soloists in All-Russia
and international competitions. From 1984 to
2001 she performed for annual solo and chamber
music recitals in the most famous concert halls
of Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Meanwhile, she
was active as a piano teacher at several St.
Petersburg music schools and her students won
prizes in prestigious festivals and
competitions, including the All Russia Chamber
Music contest for young musicians. A
resident of the Dallas/Fort Worth area since
2001, Elena finds herself in demand as a
teacher, collaborative pianist and soloist,
clinician and adjudicator. In 2001, she was on
the faculty of the Midwestern Music Camp at the
University of Kansas and in 2002-2003 she was a
faculty member at the Heifetz International
Music Institute. In November 2005 she was
invited to perform at the International
Convention in Ithaca, NY, in May 2006 she had a
concert tour in Mexico, and in October 2007 she
had her piano recital in St. Petersburg, Russia.
She continues to play solo, chamber music and
piano ensembles recitals every year and has
performed in such venues as Van Cliburn Recital
Hall, Fort Worth; Steinway Recital Hall in
Dallas; Meadows Museum; Southern Methodist
University, University of North Dallas in Denton
and University of Texas at Arlington. Elena has
collaborated with many renowned instrumentalists
of the country. Among them: cellist Nathaniel
Rosen, the Gold Medal Tchaikovsky Competition
winner; trio “Les Amis”of string principals of
the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Yuri Mazurkevich,
Professor of Violin at Boston University;
Shirley Givens, Professor of Violin at the
Juilliard School of Music. She has also
established a strong private studio, and many of
her students have won top prizes in several
piano competitions and festivals in DFW area, as
well as in the regional and international
competitions. She is an active member of
several music teacher organizations and
frequently judges various competitions in Texas.
Teaching Philosophy: "I truly believe that it is nearly
impossible to make music without the physical
comfort and natural ease of playing the piano.
When I see a student, who has physical problems
playing piano (bad posture, stiff muscles,
tension in his neck and shoulders area) I never
think “it is too late” or “it is too hard”, or
“it will take too much energy and time for me to
fix"-I just do it! However, teaching/learning is
a mutual process, and I expect my students to
take their homework seriously and be ready for
the lesson, which requires from them a
discipline and regular practice routine.
On the other hand, it is not enough to have a
good technique and physical convenience to
express yourself through the music. In addition
to “how to play” you need to know “what to say”.
I always work on developing student’s
imagination. I want to help him to put his
feelings into his play. I teach the student how
to communicate with other people through the
music. That’s why I always encourage my students
to perform publicly. It is a very important part
of my teaching philosophy.
Such
necessary elements as ear training, music theory
and solffegio are also included in my teaching.
I give my students a basic knowledge of
different musical eras and styles, I always
encourage them to read books or watch movies
about different composers and their lives,
listen or watch the recordings of great
musicians and go to the concerts to hear live
performances. I truly believe that all this
experience along with my professional guiding
would help my students to become good piano
players and to appreciate music as one of the
greatest arts."
A
resident of the Dallas/Fort Worth area since
2001, Elena finds herself in demand as a
teacher, collaborative pianist and soloist,
clinician and adjudicator. In 2001, she was on
the faculty of the Midwestern Music Camp at the
University of Kansas and in 2002-2003 she was a
faculty member at the Heifetz International
Music Institute. In November 2005 she was
invited to perform at the International
Convention in Ithaca, NY, in May 2006 she had a
concert tour in Mexico, and in October 2007 she
had her piano recital in St. Petersburg, Russia.
She continues to play solo, chamber music and
piano ensembles recitals every year and has
performed in such venues as Van Cliburn Recital
Hall, Fort Worth; Steinway Recital Hall in
Dallas; Meadows Museum; Southern Methodist
University, University of North Dallas in Denton
and University of Texas at Arlington. Elena has
collaborated with many renowned instrumentalists
of the country. Among them: cellist Nathaniel
Rosen, the Gold Medal Tchaikovsky Competition
winner; trio “Les Amis”of string principals of
the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Yuri Mazurkevich,
Professor of Violin at Boston University;
Shirley Givens, Professor of Violin at the
Juilliard School of Music. She has also
established a strong private studio, and many of
her students have won top prizes in several
piano competitions and festivals in DFW area, as
well as in the regional and international
competitions. She is an active member of
several music teacher organizations and
frequently judges various competitions in Texas.
Such
necessary elements as ear training, music theory
and solffegio are also included in my teaching.
I give my students a basic knowledge of
different musical eras and styles, I always
encourage them to read books or watch movies
about different composers and their lives,
listen or watch the recordings of great
musicians and go to the concerts to hear live
performances. I truly believe that all this
experience along with my professional guiding
would help my students to become good piano
players and to appreciate music as one of the
greatest arts."