Svetlana Smolina has performed with orchestras and in recital worldwide — including appearances with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, the Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, the Salzburg Festival at the Mozarteum, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Ravinia’s Rising Stars in Chicago, the White Nights Festival in Saint Petersburg, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Mikkeli Festival in Finland, Ruhr Klavier Festival in Germany, the Moscow Easter Festival, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Stresa Festival, the Hanoi Opera House, London’s Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow, and Rome’s Accademia Santa Cecilia.

Her discography includes the solo album Romantic Journey and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra — both produced and recorded by Luca Rustici for L’n’R Productions/Universal Music. Other notable releases include a Chopin album for iTunes, a Scriabin project on Pentatone, a live concert recording with Christopher O’Riley in Montana, and a live Walt Disney Concert Hall performance for BCM+D Records. Her performances have been broadcast on NPR, WQXR, BBC, PBS, RAI, Kultura TV, and other major networks. Her recording of Stravinsky’s Les Noces with Valery Gergiev received an International Classical Music Award (ICMA).

Svetlana’s recent engagements include a tour of China with the Dublin Philharmonic and Derek Gleeson; concerts with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil in Lima, Peru; performances at Carnegie Hall in New York; duo concerts with violinist Lee-Chin Siow in Singapore; a recital with Charlie Siem at the Basel Casino; appearances at CCK Symphony Hall in Buenos Aires as part of the “Best Pianists of the 21st Century” series; the Classical Tahoe Festival with Maestro Joel Revzen; festivals in Ushuaia, Argentina, and Cremona, Italy.

She has collaborated in chamber music settings with Vadim Repin, Ida Haendel, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Kian Soltani, Geyhee Kim, Alexander Knyazev, Enrico Dindo, Lee-Chin Siow, Pavel Šporcl, Charlie Siem, Roberto Cani, Oleg Sendetsky, Kim Fisher, Julian Milkis, Dr. L. Subramaniam, and many others. With Vadim Repin, she has appeared in duo recitals at Teatro Colón in Bogotá for the Cartagena Festival, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the XXV Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival in Bangalore and Mumbai, Koerner Hall in Toronto, Salle Garnier de Monte-Carlo for Prince Albert’s Monaco Foundation, as well as at the Trans-Siberian Art Festival in Novosibirsk, and in Washington, D.C., London, and New York.

Her most recent invitations include New Year’s Eve Galas with the Shanghai Philharmonic and Harbin Symphony under Maestro Muhai Tang; a recital at the Taihu Art Festival / 22nd China Shanghai International Arts Festival at Wuxi Grand Theater; duo performances with Vadim Repin at NCPA Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall, and the Shenzhen Concert Hall Belt & Road International Music Festival; debut solo recitals for the Dell’Arte Concert Series in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro; a concert in Osaka with Kazuhiro Takagi; recitals at Megaron Concert Hall in Thessaloniki with Jannis Georgiadis and at Megaron Chamber Hall in Athens for the Piano Plus Festival; appearances at the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain; the Triumph Music Festival / Kimmel Center Music Academy in Philadelphia; performances with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes; recitals in France at Château de Valençay; a performance at the White House in Leipzig; a concert recording for Steinway & Sons featuring the Lang Lang Black Diamond Limited Edition at Starý Kliž; a debut with the Symphony Orchestra of Athens at the Menandria Festival with Jannis Georgiadis and Christopher Miroshnikov; and an invitation to the Trans-Siberian Art Festival for chamber music recitals and performances with the Samara and Togliatti Philharmonic Orchestras with Vadim Repin and Alexander Ramm.

Svetlana is a frequent guest artist of the iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates, following her solo debut with the iPalpiti Orchestra and Maestro Eduard Schmieder at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where they recorded Britten’s Young Apollo to high critical acclaim.

She is the Grand Prix winner of Italy’s Città di Senigallia International Piano Competition, the Murray Dranoff Two-Piano Competition, and numerous other competitions. Since 2011, she has directed the piano program at the Philadelphia International Music Festival and serves on the piano faculty at Irvine Valley College and the London Performing Academy of Music.

Dr. Maxim Kuzin
Lecturer/Conductor, UCSB Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir
University of California, Santa Barbara

Ukrainian-born conductor Dr. Maxim Kuzin serves as Lecturer and Conductor of the UCSB Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also serves as Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, and has earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting from UCLA, where he studied with Professor Neal Stulberg.

Before arriving in the United States in 2014, Dr. Kuzin held several prominent positions in Ukraine, including Music Director of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras at the Reinhold Glière Kyiv Institute of Music and Head of the Opera Preparation Department at the Dnipro Glinka Conservatory of Music. He has also served as Music Director of the Kryvyi Rih Music Theatre and the Ricochet New Music Ensemble of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine. In addition, he has worked as a conductor with the President’s National Orchestra of Ukraine, the Kyiv National Operetta Theatre, and the Opera Theatre of the National Tchaikovsky Music Academy of Ukraine.

Dr. Kuzin has toured Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia, and has appeared as a guest conductor with orchestras in Eastern Europe and the United States. His guest conducting engagements include the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in Kyiv, the Georgian National Symphony Orchestra in Tbilisi, the Vladivostok Philharmonic Orchestra in Russia, the UCLA Philharmonia and UCLA Symphony, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and others.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dr. Kuzin began his musical studies at the age of seven at the Lysenko Boarding Music School for Gifted Children, specializing in choral singing and conducting, with piano as a secondary area of study.

Dr. Kuzin is a recipient of the Elaine Krown Klein Fine Arts Scholarship Award and was designated an “Emerging Artist” by Symphony magazine, published by the League of American Orchestras.

Born and raised in the former Soviet Union, Zinovy Shersher began his artistic journey at an early age. While attending music school, he also began studying visual art at the age of nine. After completing high school, he continued his education at the University of Fine Arts in Kursk, where he earned his Master of Arts degree in 1970. He later enrolled in the College of Music and graduated in 1976.

In 1972, Shersher moved to Moscow, where he continued developing his work as a visual artist. Because he chose not to create politically themed works, including portraits of Soviet political leaders, he was not permitted to exhibit his art publicly through official channels. With the support of friends, he presented his work in underground exhibitions. Despite these limitations, Shersher continued to pursue both visual art and music.

After immigrating to the United States, Shersher studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His work was later shown in solo and group exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles.

A composer as well as a painter, Shersher creates lyrical works that combine music, movement, color, and emotion. His paintings often reflect a strong sense of rhythm and harmony, expressed through flowing lines, expressive forms, and a personal visual language.

In 1992, Shersher was commissioned to create stained-glass windows for the Russian Chabad Synagogue in Los Angeles, developing historical and spiritual compositions inspired by biblical themes. In 1993, he was commissioned to create a painting dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of the Academy Awards.

Shersher is an award-winning member of the Oil Pastel Association. His work and artistic career have been featured in articles, television and radio interviews, and art reference publications, including Encyclopedia of Living Artists in America, Who’s Who in Art, and Who’s Who in the West.

Nazim Hajiyev is an Azerbaijani painter, art director, production designer, and muralist.
Born in Azerbaijan, he is a visionary scenographer and visual artist whose career spans more than four decades.

In his early years, Mr. Hajiyev studied scenic art and painting in Azerbaijan, developing a strong interest in the visual arts from a young age. He continued his artistic career at the Azerbaijan State Cinema Studio, where he worked as a chief artist on various film productions. In 1988, he served as chief artist for the film Naughty, shot in Baku, which was later ranked among the world’s top 35 films. In 1991, he was awarded the Azerbaijan State Prize.

With a solid foundation in fine art and a deep passion for visual storytelling, Mr. Hajiyev has helped define the look and atmosphere of numerous award-winning films and international productions. His practice brings together cinema, painting, and spatial design, positioning him as a uniquely influential creative force across both screen and built environments. Among his major achievements are 11 film productions as art director, including the Emmy-nominated miniseries Arabian Nights (2000).

As an artist, Nazim Hajiyev introduces Esotericism, a visionary art movement that merges religious symbolism, mystical philosophy, and abstract form.
First realized in his 1997 oil paintings, Mr. Hajiyev’s work transforms spiritual and philosophical ideas into layered visual narratives that invite reflection, interpretation, and exploration.

Dr. Natalia Kartashova was born in Russia, Saint-Petersburg.
After studying at prestigious Music School for highly gifted children, Natalia was accepted to Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music. She started giving recitals in Russia and abroad from the age of 6.

After graduation she pursued her career and education in Moscow, studying with Maria Gambaryan and Emmanuil Monaszon (Honored Artist and Piano Professor of Russian Federation.
While studying both psychology and music in Moscow, Dr.Kartashova participated in International Piano competitions, winning First Prizes and the Grand Prix (France, Spain) frequently appeared on TV and radio stations performing and being interviewed, participating in master classes with D. Bashkirov,M.Pletnev, V. Ashkenazy, V. Gornostaeva.

In 2006, upon graduation with academic excellence award and President’s award for Musical accomplishments, Natalia relocated to United States.
By 2009, she earned Master’s degree from UCLA, studying with world-renowned pianist Professor Vitaly Margulis, and by 2014 she completed Doctoral degree in Piano Performance, serving at the same time as Teaching Associate at UCLA.

In 2015 Dr. Kartashova established her own school, Russian Academy of Music. She is frequently invited to give master classes to prominent young musicians and as an adjudicator to multiple international piano competitions in the US and abroad.

Today, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ph. D in psychology, Natalia Kartashova is Steinway educational partner, an active member of various professional organizations, who lives in Los Angeles, CA, performing, recording and raising new generation of wonderful pianists.
Her students are the winners of various international piano competitions, and perform on the most prestigious stages in the world.

Throughout her career dramatic soprano Alla Markovich who hails from Belarus has enjoyed roles of Salome, Iolanta, Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Zemfira (Aleko), Mimi (La Boheme), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin) and other roles performing with St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Opera, Opera Idaho, Opera Cultura, Belarus Music Academy Opera Studio. A winner of Jāzeps Vītols International Competition, Latvia and Bettina von Bernstorff Award, Germany, she performed in Verdi’s Requiem and Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder on concert stage with Boise Philharmonic (Boise, ID) and One World Symphony (New York City) orchestras, as well as on stages of St. Petersburg Grand Philharmonic Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, San Diego H&M Artist Foundation and Peterhof Palace in Russia. She championed contemporary music performing works by Prokofiev and Shostakovich, premiering songs by Russian composers S. Slonimsky, V. Uspensky and S. Oskolkov.

Alla Markovich has studied voice at Belarus Music Academy, Berlin Hans Eisler Hochschüle für Musik and St. Petersburg Conservatory where she received Doctor of Music Art degree. She also studied with great singers Fedora Barbieri, Galina Vishnevskaya and Vladimir Atlantov.

Pianist Alla Konviser began her professional career in Russia after receiving her Master’s degree in Piano Performance. She held the position of concertmaster and piano coach at the Minsk State Musical and Pedagogical Academy.

For more than 20 years, Alla has been an accompanist and musical collaborator for many Los Angeles-based musicians and performers, including international star Aida Vedischeva, Bulgarian National Musical Theatre soloist Mariana Popzlateva, Romanian singer Carina Cheriach, Russian opera singer Gregory Rusanovsky, award-winning classical vocalist Veronica Bell, and many others.

For the past 15 years, Ms. Konviser has also worked with legendary violin virtuoso Daniel Shindarov. She has appeared in numerous music festivals, concerts, and television programs.

Alla’s broad musical interests, versatility, and exceptional technical skills allow her to move seamlessly between different musical styles, from classical to pop and jazz, making her an invaluable collaborator for the musicians she works with.

In addition to her active performing career, Ms. Konviser serves as a faculty member in the music and ballet departments at Santa Monica College, the Joffrey Ballet Company, and Idyllwild Arts Academy. She also teaches and coaches private piano students.

Vladimir Derkach (b. 1964, Lyubertsy, near Moscow) grew up in Crimea before studying at the prestigious Surikov Institute in Moscow. After several years teaching and directing art schools in Russia and Crimea, he immigrated to the United States in 1996, settling in Santa Monica, California.

Derkach is recognized for his vivid landscapes and evocative portrayals of historic architecture. Working in oil, acrylic, pencil, and printmaking, he combines realism and impressionism within a strong plein air tradition. His career spans teaching, exhibitions, and the creation of works held in international collections.

Rooted in his Russian and Crimean heritage yet shaped by the California light, his art bridges cultures while celebrating the beauty of nature and architecture.

Born in Moldova, Diana Volman holds a master’s degree in piano performance from the Moldova State Conservatory of Music. She is the winner of the Sixth International Čiurlionis Competition and was awarded first prize in the Rachmaninoff All-State Competition. She finished conservatory with the highest honors, and was offered a place on the faculty upon graduation. During her tenure, she was highly regarded as an interpreter of contemporary Moldavian and Ukrainian composers, and was frequently asked to debut their pieces and serve as editor of their published music. Her teachers include such eminent pianists as Vitaly Margulis, Dimitri Bashkirov, and Yevgeny Shenderovich.

In 1990, Diana immigrated to Los Angeles where she has taken on an active role in the cultural life of the Russian community. As Music Director of the Unity and Diversity Arts Foundation, she has spearheaded myriad events comprising many internationally distinguished artists. A sought-after accompanist, she has given highly acclaimed performances in such venues as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Thousand Oaks Civic Auditorium, and the San Gabriel Auditorium, collaborating with such eminent artists as Anatoly Berkovich, Daniel Smith, Mariana Popzlateva, and Timur Abdikeev, among numerous others. She has organized many fundraisers within the Jewish community which bring the sacred art of cantorial music into modern life.

In 2013, she was elected president of the Russian Advisory Board of the City of West Hollywood. In March 2013, she was invited to Jerusalem to record a solo CD of her repertoire, which is set to be released at the end of this year. She enjoys a career as a respected piano teacher whose students have gone on to attend prestigious music conservatories such as the Berklee College of Music, and is frequently asked to judge national competitions for young performers.
She is a proud mother of three successful children.

Michael Jampolski was born in Baku in 1973 and now lives and works in Nuremberg, Germany. From an early age, he was engaged in academic illustration, architecture, and painting, completing several projects for university. At the age of thirteen, he received his first commissions for ink drawings and created his first oil paintings.

After graduating from university, Jampolski moved to Moscow, where he studied under local painters — masters of the art movement known as the “Severe Style.” While in Moscow, he took part in various artistic projects, fulfilled numerous private commissions, and developed designs for jewelry. Later, he returned to his homeland, Azerbaijan, where he continued his creative work and produced a series of oil paintings.

In 2003, Jampolski moved to Germany, where he continued to work intensively, creating series of graphic works, photographs, and, most importantly, oil paintings. Through this extensive work, he began to shape his own artistic concept. His participation in numerous cultural projects has made him a recognized figure in the German art scene. Jampolski’s works have been exhibited in many art shows, galleries, and cultural centers across Germany and Italy, as well as in exhibitions in Monaco, Hamburg, and Milan.

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