Indian Springs Academy

Originally from Park Ridge, Illinois, Ms. Aguiar earned her Bachelor of Music in cello performance from St. Olaf College, where she studied with David Carter. It was there that she became interested in Early Music and also started playing the viola da gamba. She went on to complete her Master of Music and Artist Diploma degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Yehuda Hanani, Lee Fiser, and both the LaSalle and Tokyo String Quartets.

Kat Aguiar has been an active performer and teacher in the Cincinnati area for many years. She served as Principal Cello of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra for twelve years, and performed with the Cincinnati Symphony and Chamber Orchestras as well as the Dayton Philharmonic. A certified Suzuki teacher, she has maintained private studios in the Forest Hills, Mariemont, and Terrace Park school districts. 

While living in Curitiba, Brazil, she taught private cello lessons and performed with both the Curitiba Chamber Orchestra and the Cello Quartet “Cello Follia.”

During this time in Brazil, she became immersed in the Brazilian culture and learned Muay Thai, Brazilian percussion, capoeira, and drove a ’74 Beetle. Her daughters are now also fluent in Portuguese and love samba as much as their mother! 

Ann Lin Baer, violin    -   Born in Cincinnati, Mrs. Baer attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Program studying both piano and violin.

A magna cum laude graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Mrs. Baer has been an active member of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra since 1995. She has also performed as the second violinist in the Dayton Philharmonic String Quartet since 2002. Mrs. Baer was an Associate Violinist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for 15 years. She is a former member of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra and has performed with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Ohio Valley Symphony. 

As a dedicated teacher, Mrs. Baer considers teaching a significant and precious part of her professional life. Having had Cincinnati area teachers who were inspiring musical and personal role models, Mrs. Baer strives to pay forward the many joys of studying the violin. Mrs. Baer has been teaching violin students in the Mason area since 1995 and was also an artist in the School Partners with Artists Reaching Kids program in Dayton for 14 years. Her students are consistently successful in OMEA and Mason High School orchestra auditions, and some have gone on to pursue degrees in music education.  She opens her studio at the Indian Springs Academy welcoming students at all ages!

Gabriella Erbacher, mezzo soprano, received her Bachelor’s of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Wright State University. A native of the Dayton area, Miss Erbacher performs in chamber concerts at the Troy Hayner Center, as well as local opera productions. She enjoys singing as a member of Musica, Dayton’s Chamber choir and is currently studying with Dr. Alison Acord, chair of the vocal department at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Aside from her work as a vocal soloist, she enjoys composing music and has had her original compositions performed by a local composers’ group, COCOA.

Miss Erbacher is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and professional teacher of music who has maintained a full teaching studio since the beginning of her undergraduate study. Working with students ages 5 – 60+ she teaches voice, violin, viola, piano, guitar, bass guitar and ukulele. As a singer with an instrumentalist background, Miss Erbacher understands the value of skilled musicianship and includes fundamental and foundational skills in her teaching curriculum. For students wishing to participate, she will include preparation for the RCM Certificate Program and provides goal-based direction, especially helpful for primary level students.

Singers in today's world need to be versatile and familiar with many different musical styles in different settings! A classically trained singer, Miss Erbacher’s teaching repertoire includes all musical styles including musical theater and pop songs to keep students current, motivated and engaged. Gabriella provides a healthy vocal program and teaches her students to be versatile and comfortable with all styles!

Ms. Ayvazian earned her Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia under the instruction of the late Jane Allen.  She studied with Ms. Allen for over ten years.  She was the state winner and west central division second place winner at the Music Teachers National Association Piano Competition and a finalist in the Young Keyboard Artists Association International Piano Competition.  At the Arnold Bullock National Piano Competition, she was a semi-finalist and the Klatzin Contemporary Award winner for her performance of Benjamin Lees Fantasia.    

Ms. Ayvazian was also a prize winner in both the Music of the Americas National Competition and the Dixie Gulick Bryant Piano Competition.  At the University of Missouri-Columbia, she was awarded the Jan Blankenship Memorial Piano Scholarship, the Jean McGregor Bower Memorial Piano Scholarship, and the Ella Ferguson Turner Memorial Piano Scholarship.

Ms. Ayvazian has demonstrated her versatility as a performer by collaborating with various vocalists and instrumentalists on the stage over the years.  As a soloist, she has performed numerous times in Missouri and has given lecture/piano recitals in Miami and Los Angeles.  She particularly enjoys the lecture/recital format where the audience can connect both intellectually and emotionally to the music.

Ms. Ayvazian has always devoted her time to teaching music.  At the University of Missouri-Columbia, she taught four levels of class piano proficiency to music majors and minors.  She also gave private piano lessons to University students as well as to children in the community at large.  Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Ms. Ayvazian moved to Los Angeles in August 1998 where she joined the piano faculty of Lark Conservatory, an Armenian music school for children.  

In addition to teaching private piano lessons, she also taught music theory and music history in the large classroom setting at Lark.   In 2010, Ms. Ayvazian moved back to St. Louis where she joined the piano faculty at the Community Music School of Webster University and also maintained her private studio.  Currently, she resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she teaches both privately and at the Indian Springs Academy of Music. An active participant in the RCM Certificate Program, her students are frequent OMTA Gold Medal winners! 

Donald Broerman, a Cincinnati native, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) under the direction of Clare Callahan, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2013. He has also studied with David Case at the University of Oregon (School of Music), as well as, Jazz guitar with Mike Denny and Chris Sorenson and started his training at the Musical Arts Center in Cincinnati. His high school rock band also won first place in the High School Band Challenge and fourth place in the Battle of the Bands at Bogarts.

During his time at CCM, Mr. Broerman performed in master classes from internationally acclaimed artists such Oscar Ghiglia, David Russell, Robert Belinic and Rupert Boyd and participated in classes given by Zoran Dukic, Marcin Dylla, Carlos Perez, Johannes Möller, Daniel Lippel and others. Coruses completed for degree include: Guitar Pedagogy, Guitar repertoire and History, Guitar Ensemble.

Donald is an active composer, whose compositions are primarily solo guitar works. He briefly studied composition with Terry McQuilken at the University of Oregon, Orchestration at CCM and private lessons with Jennifer Jolley (Composition Professor at Ohio Wesleyan, President and Co-founder of N.A.N.O. Works Opera Company). A budding interest in this field has led to performances of his own works at CCM’s Something Different, Classical Revolution and a commission by The Ascend Project.

Mr. Broerman serves the community through his work in non-profits. He is the current President of Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society, as well as, a member and guitar adjudicator for the Ohio Music Educators Association.

Donald is a dedicated pedagogue. An active participant in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mr. Broerman successfully prepares students for Performance certificate examination. His students have won gold medals in RCM examinations. He currently teaches at Indian Springs Academy of Music, Wyoming Fine Arts Center and Northern Kentucky School of Music and is a co-director of and instructor for the CCM Guitar Youth Workshop.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Luke Coan earned his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.  His teachers include Won-Bin Yim, Ioana Missits, Peter Otto, and Mark Dumm of the Cleveland Orchestra.  An active chamber musician he has coached with the Ariel String Quartet and the Cavani String Quartet.

Mr. Coan is founding member of the Areopagus String Quartet which performs in weddings, events, and recitals in the Cincinnati area.  He has also performed with local orchestras such Queen City Chamber Opera, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Owensboro Symphony, Middletown Symphony and others.  Summer festival performances have taken him to Spoleto Italy, Connecticut, and Vermont.

An active, professional teacher, Mr. Coan has been teaching since high school and has found it to be one of his greatest passions!  He is a patient, committed and creative teacher that is dedicated to his students and cares deeply for their growth in music and life.

Originally from Cincinnati and part of a musical family, Mr. Jeremy Collins holds a Bachelors degree from of the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with renowned guitarist, Jason Vieaux. His Masters degree in classical guitar performance is from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles where he studied with William Kanengiser. His previous teachers also include Rodney Stucky from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Michael Patilla, guitar instructor at the Masterworks Performing Arts Festival in Winona Lake, Indiana.

A superlative performer, Mr. Collins has won first prizes at many solo guitar competitions including the 2011 ASTA/Aaron Green Guitar Competition in Los Angeles; the 2010 Columbus State Univ. Guitar Symposium Competition (Columbus, GA); the 2009 Dominguez Hills Solo Competition in Los Angeles; the 2009 “Classical Minds” Guitar Competition in Houston, TX;  the 2009 Appalachian State Guitar Fest Solo Competition in Boone, NC;  the 2008 East Carolina University Solo Guitar Competition in Greenville, NC; and the 2007 Rantucci International Guitar Competition in Buffalo, NY. 

He was also a finalist and prizewinner in the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in Columbus, GA; the Tennessee Classical Guitar Competition; and the University of Louisville Guitar Competition.

Additionally, Mr. Collins has earned first prizes at the Society of American Musicians pre-college guitar competition; the Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony Young Artist Competition; the Masterworks Festival student concerto competition; the “National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts” national talent search and recognition program, and - at the age of 16 - was invited to perform on NPR’s “From the Top” national radio program.

Mr. Collins has appeared in performances at the East Carolina University Guitar Workshop; for the Greater Houston Guitar Guild; the Cincinnati Guitar Society; the Greater Cleveland Classical Guitar Society; the Park Cities Presbyterian Church Performing Arts Series in Dallas; the Mid-day Music in Oxford (OH) recital series; the Laredo Philharmonic Rising Star recital series; as soloist with the Masterworks Festival Orchestra; the Blue-Ash Montgomery Symphony in Cincinnati; and with the Starling Chamber Orchestra in the world premiere of Timothy O'Neill’s “Johnny Appleseed,” which included a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Mr. Collins was recently featured on Cleveland’s local cable television program “Face the Music,” shown on the Cox Communications Network.

In addition to performing, Mr. Collins is also a dedicated teacher, having taught master classes, group guitar classes, and private students since 2004. An active participant in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mr. Collins successfully prepares students for Performance certificate examination at all levels. In addition to teaching, Mr. Collins enjoys composing and performing his original compositions and arrangements, and performs on a German double-top guitar by Gernot Wagner.

Pianist Jaesung “Jason” Kim, born in South Korea, began his piano studies at the age of seven. Mr. Kim enrolled at Yonsei University, completing requirements for his bachelor of music degree in 2006 under Kyungsook Lee. He received his Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Antonio Pompa-baldi.

Jaesung Kim received numerous prizes and awards in Korea including the first prize in the 40th Kankakee Symphony Orchestra competition, the 2nd prize in Chopin competition by Northwest Chopin foundation in Seattle, 2nd prize in American Protégé International Piano and Strings competition, the College-Conservatory of Music piano concerto competition allowing him to perform with the CCM Concert Orchestra.

Mr. Kim has an abundance of performing experience as a solo recitalist, a collaborative artist, and a chamber music artist throughout several venues in South Korea, Italy, and the United States. His performances include concerts at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital hall), Corbett Auditorium, Crawford Auditorium, Kulas Hall, Mixon Hall, Robert J. Werner Hall, Watson Hall, Keumho Art center, Art’s centers in Seoul, Jeoungeup, Haman, Nonsan, Namhae, Boryeung, Kimje, Kangreung, and Changwon.

He has participated in numerous music festivals, including Pianopalooza in the United States, Lucerainternazionale in Italy, Piano Adademy in South Korea where he had many performances. Mr. Kim has also performed in master classes given by great maestros such as Sergei Babayan, Jerome Rose, Julian Martin and Eduadus Halim.  

As a teacher, Mr. Kim has many years’ experience working with students of all ages. Since his years as an undergraduate, Mr. Kim has been committed to inspiring young students to play the piano and to understand and appreciate music. Operating his own private teaching studio, he prepared students for recitals and other performance events while nurturing their love of music. A dedicated church musician, while studying at Cleveland Institute of Music for the Master’s degree Mr. Kim served as a choir pianist for the Cleveland Presbyterian Church for more than three years. Since 2013, when he started the Doctor of Musical Arts degree, he has been the substitute pianists and conductor for local Cincinnati churches including the Greek Orthodox Church, Loveland Presbyterian Church, and Madisonville Methodist Church.

After finishing Master of Music, Mr. Kim served in the military service in Korea for two years, where he was the church pianist, conductor, and choir director. In addition, since he was in the Navy Band, he had lots of experiences in playing IN a band, enabling him to bring a wide variety of both musical styles and skills to his students!

Currently, Jaesung Kim is completing his Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of pianist Awadagin Pratt. 

Originally from South Korea, Ms. SooHyun Kim earned PRP (Performance residency program), which focused on performance, at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds her master degree in violin performance from University of Texas at Austin and bachelor degree in music performance in Korea.

Ms. Kim was chosen as a new young artist and presented debut recital at Sejong art center in Korea. As a soloist, she played with KyungHee philharmonic orchestra, Prime philharmonic orchestra, and Russian national orchestra. She also played regularly with Euroasian philharmonic orchestra and Seoul youth orchestra. She won several prizes including 1st Prize of KyungHee University competition and 3rd prize of Baroque chamber Music competition.

A committed and professional instructor, Ms. Kim has been teaching throughout her education. She welcomes students of all ages, from the  beginning level to advanced repertoire. She is also a Suzuki certified teacher and trained for Book1 and Book2.  An active participant in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mrs. Kim successfully prepares students for Performance certificate examination.

Peter Oehrtman is an active performer and teacher in the Cincinnati area. A native of northern Ohio, Mr. Oehrtman received his Bachelor of Music degree at Bowling Green State University, his Master of Music degree at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at CCM. 

A student of Eugene and Elisabeth Pridonoff, Mr Oehrtman has won numerous scholarships and awards. His musical honors include placing in several piano competitions, including the Brevard Music Center International Piano Competition, the Marjorie Conrad Peatee Art Song Competition, and the Bowling Green State University Concerto Competition.

An active and committed teacher, Mr. Oehrtman serves as a teaching assistant under the direction of Dr. Michelle Conda at CCM. Comfortable teaching students of all levels and in a variety of formats, he teaches many CCM students through both private lessons and group classes. Mr. Oehrtman is also a faculty member at the Piano Camp of Summer Music Institute at Bowling Green State University and at the Indian Springs Academy of Music. 

Mr. Oehrtman is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and has presented many of his teaching ideas through presentations at the local, state, collegiate, and national levels. Most recently, he was invited to present a session entitled “Steve Jobs Meets Mitsuko Uchida: Applying Innovative Strategies” at the Young Professionals Track of the 2014 MTNA National Conference in Chicago. Among the other lecture courses he teaches is a course titled “Practicing and Performing Strategies”. 

An active participant in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mr. Oehrtman successfully prepares students for both Performance and Theoretical certificate examination at all levels. Mr. Oehrtman is on Piano faculty at the Indian Springs Academy. 

Marva Rasmussen, violinist, is a certified Suzuki instructor and a licensed music educator in the state of Ohio.  She received Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and taught elementary and middle school strings in the Kansas City and Olathe, Kansas public schools. 

Since moving to Cincinnati with her family many years ago, she has directed the chamber orchestra at Ursuline Academy, and founded the string program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.   

A committed and productive professional teacher, she has always maintained an active private studio; her students have consistently received superior ratings at music festivals and perform in many local ensembles.  An active participant in the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mrs. Rasmussen successfully prepares students for Performance certificate examinations.

She can be seen performing in the Cincinnati area in one of the 5 regional orchestras or as a member of La Chiesa String Quartet.

Pianist-Composer Christina Tan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance, Theory cognate from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music where she was invited by concert pianist Béla Siki to study. At CCM, she earned her Master’s and Bachelor of Music degrees while on various scholarship awards and teaching assistantships. Her teachers include James Tocco, Eugene & Elizabeth Pridonoff, Frank Weinstock, and Béla Siki. Representing Singapore in the 1991 Robert Casadesus International Competition, she clinched the top prize and awards at several local and international piano and composition competitions, including the 1986 Diners Club Pianist of the Year Award.   

Having played with orchestras on both sides of the Atlantic, The Lexington Herald-Leader writes,  “Tan always seemed to be gauging her performance to suit the needs of the moment, and such intelligent playing is as welcome as it is rare.”  The Straits Times describes her music, “Spirited piano piece a winner...21st-century music does not need to be inaccessible to be taken seriously” On her performance, “Tan’s artistry shone through with utter clarity, humor, and beauty…There was much poignancy to be had in the familiar preludes...sheer poetry reigned ...a captivating performance on the whole.”

An enthusiastic educator, collaborator/chamber musician, and adjudicator, she has served on the music faculties of the University of Akron, Hiram College, Asbury, Transylvania, Northern Kentucky, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, and Winthrop Universities. In 2010, she was invited to teach at Singapore’s School of the Arts ~ SOTA. In 2014, she also began teaching at the LASALLE College of Arts’ School of Contemporary Music and NAFA ~ Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' School of Music.  She has been invited to give master classes both in Asia and the US. She has also always served as an organist-music director at a local church. Passionate about music making and education, she is the current Vice President of the Singapore Music Teachers’ Association. 

Christina’s students have been national and international level award winners in solo, chamber and composition competitions.  Equally at home with both beginning and advanced levels, her intrinsic desire is to impact a student’s life by instilling a lifelong passion for learning in a stimulating while nurturing environment for her students of all ages. It is the supreme joy of awakening the wonder of creative expression, heightening aesthetic awareness and growth in others that fuels her passion for her calling.

Sheila Vail earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, where she studied with Lillian Freundlich and Leon Fleisher.

Following her studies at Peabody, Mrs. Vail performed and taught in the Montgomery County Maryland area for many years. Upon arriving in Cincinnati in 1990, Mrs. Vail taught on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department from 1991-1995 before resigning to concentrate on her high level private studio.

In addition to teaching full time, Mrs. Vail is a frequent clinician and guest speaker at college and university pedagogy departments, teacher organizations and professional conferences on the topics of creating, establishing, and maintaining the professional private teaching studio as well as creative curriculum development for piano students.

As Senior Examiner in the Royal College of Examiners (Royal Conservatory of Music / Toronto), she travels throughout Canada and the US hearing exam candidates for the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program. Mrs. Vail is also an RCM Certified Teacher, holding the title of Advanced Specialist in both piano and theory.

An active supporter of the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program, Mrs. Vail is the U.S. National Coordinator of the RCM Certificate Program. The Indian Springs Academy is a Founding School for the program. 

Active in the Ohio Music Teachers Association, Mrs. Vail currently serves on the OTMA Executive Board as the State Student Certificate Program Chair and liason for the RCM Certificate Program.

Mrs. Vail resides in Cincinnati where she maintains a private studio and is the owner and managing partner of the Indian Springs Academy of Music.

Rodrigo Vasconcelos holds a Master of Arts degree from Campbellsville University and a Piano Performance degree from the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His piano teachers include Linda Bustani, Estela Caldi, Allan Hersh, and Wesley Roberts.

Mr. Vasconcelos keeps a healthy performing career as a choral conductor, pianist, and lecturer throughout the US, Germany, England, Czech Republic and Brazil, including appearances with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Vasconcelos serves as music educator for the Our Lady of the Visitation School, and on the piano, music history, and theory faculty of Indian Springs Academy of Music.

Mr. Vasconcelos is a Founding Teacher for the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program and is an active member of both the National Association for Music Education and the Ohio Music Educators Association. An active participant in the RCM Certificate Program, Mr. Vasconcelos is also a member of the Royal College of Examiners, hearing candidates at all levels throughout North America. 

Eve Warner is an MTNA Certified Teacher of the Violin and RCM Certified Advanced Specialist on Violin. When she is not teaching, she contributes her expertise as an RCM College of Examiners, Strings Specialist, and an OMEA Solo & Ensemble Adjudicator. She holds memberships in ASTA, MTNA and NAfME and serves on both the OSTA board and Southwest Chapter of OMTA. She accepts into her private studio students age 5 and above from beginning to advanced level.

Mrs. Warner is a graduate of Cincinnati Country Day School and Miami University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Violin Performance.  She is past-concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Miami University Symphony Orchestra, as well as winner of the Miami University Concerto Competition.  Mrs. Warner attended several summers of orchestral performance training at the Brevard Music Center Summer Festival in North Carolina. 

She maintains one of Cincinnati’s most well-established and reputable teaching studios for over 25 years and enjoys preparing her students for successful performances year round.  Her students participate in OMEA contests, area youth symphonies, and the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program assessments. She has also prepared students for successful careers as professional musicians.

She has performed in many Cincinnati area orchestras, including the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony, and Middletown Symphony.  A frequent chamber music performer, Mrs. Warner’s primary professional focus is on her students and her career as a professional teacher of violin and viola.

Dr. Anna Vinnitsky, pianist

With a multicultural pedigree comprising both the European and American traditions, Dr. Vinnitsky holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, as well as her Master’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago.

A pianist of great eloquence and versatility, Dr. Anna Vinnitsky has established a diverse career as in-demand soloist, chamber musician and educator. She maintains an extensive performance schedule as orchestral soloist and recitalist across the United States, Israel and Western Europe, performing such iconic venues as Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Merkin Hall, Tenor Cultural Center, as well as Auditorium Haifa.

Dr. Vinnitsky enjoys a varied and successful career as a collaborative artist, a respected teacher of piano, and composer. An active performer, she performs regularly with international soloists as well as New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra members. As a passionate advocate of music education Anna appears as a guest lecturer at universities nation-wide and was on faculty at St. Luke’s School in Manhattan. A successful composer, Dr. Vinnitsky was commissioned by the Stamford Symphony Orchestra who presented the world premiere of her newly composed “Klezmer Dances” for clarinet and piano took place in October, 2021 in Manhattan.

As an educator, Dr. Vinnitsky offers the highest quality piano instruction to students across the nation delivering collaborative curricula that instills a love not only for the piano, but the arts and music-making. Dr. Vinnitsky shares her multicultural educational pedigree and international performance experience to inspire students of all ages to discover their artistic potential while motivating them to achieve great success in each of their musical endeavors.

Dr. Vinnitsky welcomes students from five years old to adults teaching all levels, beginner through advanced. Each lesson is tailored to fit a student’s personal strengths and interests, with a focus on addressing challenges to help students to achieve their musical goals. Her well-rounded curriculum includes diverse repertoire spanning multiple genres, and exercises to increase technical fluency, music literacy and ear-training skills. As performances are a vital component for any bourgeoning musician, students are encouraged to participate in recitals and different performance events to celebrate their achievements.

Anna has recently moved from New York City to Cincinnati where she resides with her husband, clarinetist Pavel Vinnitsky, and their son Daniel.

Polina Bespalko   earned her Masters degree from the Moscow Conservatory, and her Artist Diploma and Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Described as an “amazing virtuoso” by the world-renowned Nikolai Petrov and having a “complex, vigorous and demanding energetic attitude at the piano” by Brazilian newspaper Correio Brasilense, Dr. Bespalko is rapidly establishing herself as one of piano’s brightest stars.

Dr. Bespalko began her performance career at the age of 8. Throughout her years at the Moscow Central Music school she appeared regularly in the most prestigious venues in Russia - including performances in Bolshoi Hall and for the Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II at the age of 13.   Her career continued after her acceptance to the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, where she was personally requested by the Minister of Culture to perform in every major cultural center in the region. Dr. Bespalko made her American debut in 1998 as an honored member of the Russian-US Cultural Music Exchange.  This launched a period of intense U.S. concertizing, with performances as varied as Cincinnati’s Matinee Musicale, concerts at The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., to Salt Lake City, where she twice performed at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. 

During her time at CCM, Dr. Bespalko won the CCM Concerto Competition, thus performing Rachmaninov’s 3^rdConcerto with the CCM Philharmonia under Mark Gibson.  This was followed by a string of domestic and international successes on the competition circuit.  A winner of the Silver Medal in the 2001 Wideman International Piano Competition of Louisiana, Dr. Bespalko went on to become a medalist in the 2005 World Piano Competition and the Gold Medal winner in the Rachmaninov Concerto Competition in Catania, Sicily. While studying with Nikolai Petrov, Dr. Bespalko’sperformance with the Moscow Philharmonia Society resulted in her appointment as resident soloist immediately following her graduation.  She returned to Moscow every year from 2001 through 2008, giving highly acclaimed solo and orchestral performances.  Concurrently, she toured internationally in Sweden, Sicily, and Brazil, returning on three separate occasions to Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.  So popular was her first performance at the Claudio Santoro Theater in 2005 that she was invited back in 2007 and 2008 for both a solo performance and a nationally broadcast radio engagement on Super Radio Brazil.

In 2007, at the impressive age of 28, Dr. Bespalko ko was appointment to the Piano faculty at Xavier University as Coordinator of the Piano Department. Balancing her performance schedule with her teaching and administrative duties at Xavier University, Dr. Bespalko continues to maintain an active performance profile with numerous domestic and international engagements.

Dr. Bespalko is currently a full-time professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati and serves as the Director of the Xavier University Music Series.

“As a musician and an artist, it is my goal to provide a transformative experience for my audience. As a teacher, I am an advocate and champion for all developing artists and my motto is to help every student to find and develop their unique voice.