Yelena Ivanov

The 2009 Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award (Washington D.C.) recipient, Yelena Ivanov, is widely recognized and highly respected among her peers in the field of piano pedagogy. Her devotion and dedication to the development of young talent has produced some of the finest young pianists. She sees her mission as preparing her students for professional careers in music, as a performer, teacher and a collaborative artist. Many of her students are winners of statewide, national and international competitions and have performed throughout the United States at notable venues including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie and with prominent orchestras such as the Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Summit Symphony, Battleground Symphony, Westfield Symphony, Plainfield Symphony (United States), and Orchestra Sinfonica del Festival di Chioggia (Italy). Her student Christopher Johnson was the only classical pianist who played in an inauguration ceremony of the President of the United States. In 2008, her student, Allen Yueh, was the Grand Prizewinner of the New York International Competition. They are both currently concertizing throughout the United States. Her colleagues bestowed upon her numerous honors recognizing her exemplary pedagogy and awarded her the highly regarded Gina Robinor Pedagogy Award of Excellence, the High Honor Teacher Grand Award, the Allison R. and Maria E. Drake Pedagogy Award, the National Pedagogy Certification Award presented by the Piano Teachers Society of America, and the Teacher of the Year Award by the Steinway Society. In 1999, Mrs. Ivanov received an additional pedagogy award presented to her by the De Grado Piano Competition, “Golden Circle of Teachers”. At the age of six, Mrs. Ivanov entered the Gnesinsky School for Gifted Children. She received her Bachelors of Music Degree at the prestigious Gnesinsky Academy of Music. She continued her studies at the famed Moscow State (“Tchaikovsky”) Conservatory graduating with highest distinction. While completing her studies at Moscow State Conservatory, Mrs. Ivanov was offered a position as Professor at Gnesinskiy Academy, becoming the youngest member of the faculty. Her dissertation was entirely dedicated to problems concerning artistic interpretations, depending on different understanding of musical structure and form. As a result of her profound music education, she strongly believes that all artistic aspects of piano performance must be developed form a very early age. She also reinforces the need to introduce the concerto repertoire to students at a very early age. Mrs. Ivanov composes music for children and makes four-hand arrangements. She is also an author of several cadenzas. Her cadenza for Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 was successfully performed by her students as well as her colleagues. In 1979, Mrs. Ivanov moved to the U.S. and in a few years, was maintaining a successful piano studio and was frequently invited to give master classes and judge piano competitions in the United States and abroad. Recognizing the need to further develop young talented individuals, she founded the Young Pianist Competition of New Jersey in 1989. In 1998, Mrs. Ivanov was invited to join the piano faculty of the Festival “Musica in Laguna”, held in Chioggia Italy, where she still is coaching solo and concerto repertoire.

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