A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, pianist Tatiana Vassilieva is pursuing a diverse career as a vocal coach, chamber musician, and soloist.  Having recently completed a Master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music, she spent the past year as member of the music staff at Boston University, playing fortepiano continuo for Così fan tutte and second piano for William Bolcom’s Lucrezia.  Her upcoming engagements include apprentice coach positions at Ash Lawn Opera this summer and Florida Grand Opera in the spring of 2011.

Last summer, Ms. Vassilieva worked as a young artist coach at Opera North in Lebanon, NH, where she rehearsed and played continuo for Il barbiere di Siviglia. Ms. Vassilieva spent the summers of 2007 and 2008 as a Vocal Piano Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA. There she served as a rehearsal pianist for productions of The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Cosí fan tutte, and worked with Kayo Iwama, Alan Smith, and Kenneth Griffiths on a variety of art song and chamber music projects. In the summer of 2006, Ms. Vassilieva participated in the Collaborative Piano Program at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA, where she studied with Anne Epperson and Jonathan Feldman.

Ms. Vassilieva received a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance and a Master’s degree in both piano performance and accompanying from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She studied in the studios of Jean Barr, Nelita True, and Fernando Laires. While at Eastman, she was awarded the Brooks Smith Scholarship, the Barr Award, and was a two-time recipient of the Excellence in Accompanying Award. As a Graduate Assistant in Opera Coaching at the Eastman Opera Theatre, she served as the music director of Cabaret, as well as coach/accompanist for The Turn of the Screw and a program of opera scenes. While still a student at Eastman, Ms. Vassilieva also worked with Mercury Opera Rochester as rehearsal pianist for their production of La bohème. Ms. Vassilieva is also passionate about art song and won First Prize in Piano in Eastman’s Jessie Kneisel Competition for the Performance of German Lieder in both 2008 and 2009.

Ms. Vassilieva has also distinguished herself as a soloist and has performed concertos with the Rochester Philharmonic, Cornell Chamber, Eastern Festival, and the Greece Symphony orchestras. Her other solo performance highlights include a “Rising Stars Recital” at the Eastman Young Artist International Piano Competition and the Eastern Music Festival concert at the Kennedy Center.

Biography last updated 5/24/2010