Guest Recital: CCM Pianist Polina Bespalko

Described as an “amazing virtuoso” by world famous Russian pianist Nikolai Petrov, and having “complex, vigorous and demanding energetic attitude at piano” by Brasilian newspaper Correio Brasiliense, Polina Bespalko is rapidly establishing herself as one of brightest young stars.

Polina began her performance career at the age of 8, and throughout her years at the Moscow Central Music School she appeared regularly in the most prestigious venues in Russia Her career continued after her acceptance to the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, as she was requested by the Minister of Culture to participate in numerous musical programs in major cities throughout the region.

Polina has made a name for herself internationally as well, performing solo concerts in Holland, Czech Republic, and a series of performances broadcast on radio in Sweden.

She made her American debut in 1998 in Cincinnati, and returned to the Queen City two years later to perform for the 90th anniversary of Matinee Mucsicale, the nation’s longest running music recital series.

She has since performed in Dayton, Jackson MI and the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. In 2002 Polina gave two performances at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, and gave multiple concerts in Brasilia, Brazil in 2004 at the National Theater Claudio Santoro. In Sicily she played several performances of Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 3 with the RIAS Youth Orchestra of Berlin under the direction of Daisuke Soga and Tomasz Bugaj in August 2005. In January 2006, Ms. Bespalko performed at the Xavier University Piano Series and made such an impact that she was issued a rare invitation for an encore performance in 2007.

A soloist for the Moscow Philharmonia since 1996, Polina continues to perform several times yearly in the Russian capital and neighboring cities and countries. In 2002, she took part in the Russian debut of Bach’s Concerto for Four Pianos with Nikolai Petrov in the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and returned later the same year for the premier of Liszt’s Malediction at the annual music festival “Ars Nova” with the chamber orchestra “Musica Viva”. Polina also appeared with the “I Soloist Di Varsavia” string quintet at the “Musical Kremlin III” International Festival.

A winner of the Silver Medal in the 2001 Wideman International Piano Competition in Shreveport, Louisiana, Polina went on to become a medalist in the 2005 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati. This was immediately followed by the Gold Medal in the Rachmaninov Concerto Competition in Catania, Sicily.

Polina holds a Masters Degree from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Ms. Bespalko is currently on the piano faculty of Xavier University in Cincinnati.