Fortissimo Academy Music and art teachers in Côte Saint-Luc
Svetlana Klempner
Svetlana Klempner is a native of Kharkov, Ukraine, where she completed her BA in Piano Pedagogy and Accompanist at the Kharkov Music College. In 1984 she earned her Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy under Professor L.I. Lazovaya. Between 1990 and 1998 she lived and taught in Israel. In 1998 after moving to Canada Svetlana continued her studies at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) under Professor Pierre Jasmin, specializing in Piano Performance. Shortly after she founded a private piano studio, which would later become Music Academy Fortissimo. Svetlana is the winner of the Grand Prix at the prestigious Young Performers Competition in Tashkent, 1973 and the winner of the Concerto Competition at UQAM, 2003.
At Fortissimo Ms. Klempner teaches piano.
Julia Gavrilova
Julia Gavrilova was born in Russia and made her debut at the age of five. She studied in Moscow Gnessin Institute of Music with Theodor Gutmann and Eugene Liberman, where she graduated with a Master in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. After moving to Canada in 1991 she continued her music studies at McGill University under Professor Marina Mdivani and obtained her doctorate in Piano Performance. Julia Gavrilova specializes in chamber music and collaborative piano repertoire and appears in concerts as soloist and accompanist. Her playing represents the Russian piano school tradition, going back to Nicolas Rubinstein and Heinrich Neuhaus.Ms. Gavrilova currently teaches piano and piano ensemble classes at the Schulich School of Music and Conservatory of Music at The McGill University. Since 2009 she also holds a principal piano teaching position at Vanier College.
At Fortissimo Ms. Gavrilova teaches piano and Piano Ensemble.
Svetlana Pailler
Svetlana Pailler-Melkostupova is a choral conductor and mezzo-soprano, a graduate of the Vladivostok Conservatory of Music, Russia. In 1996 Svetlana became Music Director and Conductor of the Billings Symphony Youth Choral in Billings, Montana. In 2000 her reputation as top-class Choral Conductor followed her to New Hampshire where she became the Founder and Music Director of the NH Choral Academy in Manchester, NH. In 2006 Ms. Pailler was offered a position of the Director of Children’s Choir at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA where she continues to teach presently.
At Fortissimo Ms. Pailler teaches many pre-school programs, as well as piano and voice.
Luciné Chaglassian-Balikian
Luciné Chaglassian-Balikian, born in Yerevan, Armenia is a graduate of the Komitas State Conservatory with a Masters degree and a specialization in Violin Teaching at All Levels and Soloist in Violin Playing for Chamber Orchestras. Luciné moved to Montreal in 1986 and further pursued her teaching career at the McGill Conservatory of Music. In her teaching methodology Luciné uses a special approach to children with attention deficit and other related problems.
At Fortissimo Ms. Balikian teaches violin.
Our Faculty
Margarita Weber
Margarita Weber, born in Frunze Kirgiztan, started to discover the beautiful world of music at the age of five. In 1985, Margarita completed with honors her BA in Piano Pedagogy and Accompanist. Margarita participated in multiple prestigious competitions. In 1983 she received first place at the “Asia’s Young Pianists” competition which was held in memory of S. Rachmaninov. In 1985, she won the "R. Schubert's Piano Secrets" competition. In 1988 Margarita accepted first place in the "Young Performers” competition, in Vilna. In 1990, Margarita earned with honors her Master's degree in Piano Perfomance, Piano Pedagogy, Soloist in Chamber Orchestra and Accompanist. In 1993, she moved to Montreal and pursued her teaching and performing carrier at the "National Academy of Music" (1993- 2004).
At Fortissimo Mrs. Weber teaches piano.
Marineh Ekizyan
Marineh Ekizyan is a musicologist, teacher of theoretical disciplines; pianist, accompanist, chamber ensemble artist. During 9 years of her higher education at the Yerevan State Conservatory she obtained 2 Bachelor’s degrees in musicology and performing art.
In total, Marine has 20 years of studies in music and was honoured with awards of excellence. After her college studies she already started to work as a teacher of music theory and ear training at music school. At the same time, she was actively involved in the art of interpretation. For two years she worked as the pianist for the AYG piano quartet and 5 years as singer in the Yerevan Chamber Choir, with which she participated in numerous concerts and recordings in Armenia and in Europe. Since 2004, as a musicologist, Marine creates and edits scores for printing in collaboration with 4 German music publishing houses.
At the Fortissimo Academy Marine is employed as a teacher of preschool ear training programs, as well as piano and theory teacher, where she continues to share her passion for and her knowledge of music.
Our Faculty
Angelique Mbemba
Angelique Mbemba received her Master's degree in 2001 in teaching classical and modern arts from Katanov State University of Khakassia.
She continued her education in teaching of fine arts in Moscow State University until 2004.
She joined Fortissimo in 2014 and currently teaches fine arts.
Our Faculty
Olivia Barnes
Following her First place win for Voice at the National Music Festival in 2018, Olivia Barnes was invited to be Artist-in-residence with Opera McGill. She was granted her Graduate Performance Diploma in Classical singing from McGill University on scholarship and a Maîtrise en musique from the Université de Montréal. Recent performance credits include Maud in Sadie Off the Rails, Florence Pike in Albert Herring, Beatrice in Much Ado! (Canadian workshop premiere), Nettie Fowler in Carousel, Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe, Paquette in Candide, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance and Olga in Eugene Onegin. Olivia Barnes is also a versatile actress whose work ranges from musical theatre to stand-up comedy to opera. She plays violin too in a wide-variety of styles from classical to jazz. Olivia is currently based in Montreal although her work takes her all over Canada. She is represented by the Amanda Rosenthal Talent Agency.
Our Faculty
Alexandre Solopov
Alexandre Solopov is Russian-born and has had an extensive music education since the age of nine years old; after studying music in his home city of Vladivostok, he moved to Moscow at the age of 16 years to attend the Moscow Central School of Music. He continued his studies at the renowned Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory from which he graduated in 1994 with excellence, obtaining the equivalences of Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, having studied with Professors Lev Vlassenko and Mikhail Pletnev. He came to Montreal in 1996 to enrol in the Artist Diploma Program at McGill University. Since his arrival in Montreal, Mr. Solopov has maintained a prolific, professional, performing career as soloist and chamber musician. He also is a composer. He has participated in many competitions at the international level in Europe, Canada and the United States. He has been involved with the film industry in Montreal as piano coach to Angelina Jolie for the film Beyond Borders and his teaching technique is featured in the National Film Board (NFB) documentary film Mr. Mergler’s Gift, directed by Academy Award winning NFB Director, Beverley Shaffer. For more than 10 years he taught piano with the McGill Conservatory of Music of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. He now directs his own private studio.
Né à Vladivostok en Russie. Alexandre Solopov a poursuivi des études approfondies en musique, en débutant à sa ville natale et suivant, à l’âge de 16 ans, à l’École Centrale de musique de Moscou. De plus, en 1994 il est diplômé avec mention du renommé Conservatoire Tchaikovsky de Moscou où il a étudié avec les professeurs Lev Vlasenko et Mikhail Pletnev. En 1996 il est arrivé à Montréal et il s’est inscrit au programme de diplôme d’artiste de l’Université McGill. Depuis son arrivé à Montréal, M. Solopov s’est produit régulièrement comme soliste et chambriste. Il est également un compositeur. Il a participé aux plusieurs concours au niveau international en Europe, au Canada et aux Etats-Unis. Il était impliqué dans le monde du film à Montréal comme professeur de piano d’Angelina Jolie pour le film Beyond Borders; il est participant important aussi au documentaire de l’office national du Film (ONF) intitulé L’héritage de Monsieur Mergler de la réalisatrice et récipiendaire d’un Oscar, Mme Beverley Shaffer. Ce documentaire souligne la méthode d’enseignement de M. Solopov. Pendant plus de 10 ans, il a été professeur de piano au Conservatoire de McGill de l’École de musique Schulich de l’Université McGill. Actuellement il dirige son propre studio privé.
Our Faculty
Anna Peletsis
Anna Peletsis has graduated from Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow (class of S. Dorensky, P. Nersessian and N. Lugansky), Royal College of Music in London, UK (Masters, class of D. Alexeev) and McGill University (Doctor of Music, class of M. Mdivani). She won 1st prizes of the International Piano Competitions in France (Nicolai Rubinstein, FLAME) and England (Bromsgrove, Harding) and performed in the Great Hall of Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal among others.
During her time at McGill Anna won the McGill Concerto Competition and performed A. Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto with the McGill Symphony Orchestra, which has been broadcasted by CBC Radio 2 Canada wide. She taught piano and piano ensemble courses at McGill while being a Doctoral candidate. Anna also took a conducting course with Maestro A. Hauser that led to a performance with the McGill Symphony Orchestra as well as her recent professional conducting engagement was with the Pronto Musica orchestra.
Anna actively performs as a soloist and as part of Peletsis-Dardykina Piano Duo that went on concert tours in Canada, USA, UK and Russia. At Fortissimo Academy Dr. Peletsis teaches piano.
Our Faculty
Tatiana Dardykina
Born in Moscow, Tatiana graduated with Distinction from Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (class of prof. A. Mndoyants), Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (M.Mus. and AdvPGDip, classes of M. Wilson, M. Racz and J. Humphreys) and McGill University (D. Mus., class of prof. M. Mdivani). She has been a 2nd prize winner of N. Rubinstein and FLAME International Piano Competitions in France, Top prize winner of the Grand Konzerteum competition in Greece, winner of Leamington Music Prize, Birmingham Symphony Hall Prize and 2nd prize of the Brant Competition in the UK. Tatiana has appeared in master classes with Stephen Hough, Peter Donohoe and Malcolm Bilson.
Tatiana actively performs as a soloist and as part of Peletsis-Dardykina Piano Duo that has toured in the UK, USA, Canada and Russia. She performed at the Buxton Festival, Spring Sounds International Music Festival, Birmingham Town Hall (UK), Rachmaninov Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal among others.
Tatiana is a devoted teacher: she has been on the faculty of the Keyboard and the Junior Departments of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK in 2009-2011; she also taught piano and piano ensemble courses at McGill University in 2013-2017 and ran a private piano studio in Montreal.
At Fortissimo Academy Dr. Dardykina teaches piano.
Our Faculty
Cristina Monica Hauser
Cristina Monica Hauser has developed an international musical career ever since graduating in 1984
“summa cum laude” the Music Academy of Cluj, as the top Conservatory student
in Romania.
With a BA in Musicology and Piano teaching, after obtaining several prizes in
International Piano Competitions, Mrs. Hauser has worked as a Classical Music
Editor for RTV in both Romania and Holland, had a guest professorship in
Musicology and Music History at the Music Academy of Cluj, Romania, was
invited to teach at the Semmering Volkshochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria,
was a member of the Musikverein Choir Vienna, Austria and of the Musicological
Group of Ensemble Wiener Collage, Vienna.
Since 2001, Mrs. Hauser was teaching Piano at the McGill Conservatory of
Music, Montreal, where she developed one of the largest piano classes of the
school. Her students won first prizes every year at prestigious Canadian and
International competitions, many of them having already played in the prestigious
Carnegie Hall in New York.
Mrs. Hauser is bringing her Piano Class systematically to perform for the large
audience, offering also charitable concerts to Residences in Montreal.
Our Faculty
Eva Csarnay
Born in Transylvania, the North of Romania, Eva Csarnay started her piano studies and her musical career at the age of seven. At only twelve, Ms. Csarnay had her first all Bach Solo Recital. At fifteen she won the First Prize at the National Music Competition.
In 1981, Ms. Csarnay got a Masters Degree in Music and Piano Performance at the Conservatory of Music in Cluj, Romania. She continued her studies in Madrid and Montreal, at the McGill University and she became a prize winner at the Canadian Music Competition.
Early on in her career Ms. Csarnay has been an active participant in Festivals and Master Classes, where she had the opportunity to work with great musicians as: Pál Kadosa, Tatiana Nicolaeva, Rudolf Kehrer, Anton Kuerti, György Sebök and John Perry, at Weimar (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Yugoslavia), Madrid (Spain) and Banff (Canada).
Ms. Csarnay performed in many solo and chamber music concerts in Romania, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Spain and Canada. Ms. Csarnay also performed with the Symphony Orchestras in Cluj, Leipzig, Szombathely, Satu-Mare and Montreal.
Since 1986, Ms.Csarnay is a Piano Teacher and a Piano Examiner of all levels, at the McGill Conservatory of Music of McGill University.