Jun 9, 2014
On August 7, Finland Center Foundation presented Pianist Viktoriya Papayani at the Salmagundi Club . There was a pre-concert reception for donors supporting FCF’s Kota Project http://kotaproject.org/ … The Kota Project is an initiative of FCF to establish a World Center for Women in New York City as a hub for nonprofit organizations that work towards women’s empowerment. The Club has remodeled some of the rooms including the upper floor main gallery; a nice venue for tonight’s recital, surrounded by artwork while listening to her lovely recital: Tchaikovski’s The Seasons; Beethoven’s Rondo a Capriccio in G Minor, “Rage Over a Lost Penny”; Debussy’s Valse Romantique and L’isle Joyeuse; plus five works by Chopin after intermission, quite an impressive program… The piano is brand new; this being its second usage, some glitches hadn’t yet been worked out, a noisy pedal among them, but that did not distract from enjoying the performance; highlights were Beethoven’s Rondo and the spirited L’isle Joyeuse… Looking forward to Viktoriya’s future recitals!
All about Viktoriya. Born in the Ukraine, pianist Viktoriya Papayani was started on the piano by her father, Vladimir Yudilevich, when she was four and studied with him until her family moved to America. She continued her studies in New York with Nina Svetlanova at the Manhattan School of Music, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance.
During her summer courses and International Music Festivals in Canada and Europe she received coaching from Dina Ioffe, Dmitry Paperno and Carlos Turriago.
Ms. Papayani has received various honors and awards in many European countries, including Ukraine, France, and Italy and has performed in Europe, Canada, and the United States. She was presented at the Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall in her New York recital debut by Artists International as a recipient of its Special Presentation Award. Besides being a classical pianist Viktoriya Papayani is also an actress, who has been a part of more than twenty five theater productions, including Shakespeare.
Currently, Viktoriya teaches piano at the Future Artist Studio and is an organist and choir director of St. Thomas’ and St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Churches on Long Island. She continues giving piano recitals in the US and Europe and makes piano recordings. Future engagements include a concert tour in the fall of 2014 in Finnish Lapland as a part of September Fest.