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Irina SharapovaRussian pianist, accompanist
Date of Birth: 12.09.1951
Country:  Belarus |
Content:
- Irina Sharapova: A Renowned Pianist and Educator
- Teaching Career
- Concert Artistry
- Exclusive Repertoire
- Project Initiatives
- "Petersburg Salon Today"
- International Festival "Three Centuries of Classical Romance"
- Pedagogical Influence
- Family and Personal Life
Irina Sharapova: A Renowned Pianist and Educator
Early Life and EducationIrina Sharapova was born into a family of artists in Minsk, Belarus. Her father, Alexander Yakovlevich Sharapova, was a poet and translator, and her mother, Raisa Mikhaylovna Balbutskaya, was a literary editor. Irina's musical journey began at the Belarusian Conservatory, where she studied at the ten-year school before graduating with honors from the Minsk Musical College in the piano class of Vladislav Mikhailovich Epshtein, a student of Konstantin Nikolaevich Igumnov.
From 1970 to 1976, Sharapova studied at the Leningrad Conservatory's piano faculty under renowned teachers such as Dmitry Alexandrovich Svetozarov, Oleg Yurievich Malov, and Boris Fyodorovich Lysenko. She also pursued chamber ensemble studies with Felicia Isaakovna Fondaminskaya and concertmaster classes with Irena Rodionovna Radina. In 1981, she completed her assistant-internship at the Conservatory's chamber ensemble department under the guidance of Elena Arkadyevna Shafran.
Teaching Career
Sharapova embarked on her teaching career in 1981 at the Leningrad Conservatory's chamber ensemble department. In 1995, she became an associate professor in the concertmaster department of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and in 2006, she was appointed professor.
Concert Artistry
As a concert pianist, Sharapova has focused primarily on vocal music. She has collaborated with renowned singers such as Anna Netrebko, Yevgeny Nesterenko, Nikolai Putilin, and Viktor Chernomortsev. Her extensive repertoire encompasses nearly the entire vocal literature of the past three centuries. Sharapova is particularly celebrated for her interpretations of chamber vocal works by composers such as Robert Schumann, Richard Strauss, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Nikolai Medtner.
Exclusive Repertoire
An exclusive aspect of Sharapova's artistry is her exploration of romances by composers of the "Silver Age" (Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, Grechaninov, Slonimsky, and others). She also prominently features the music of contemporary St. Petersburg composers, especially Sergei Slonimsky, Valery Gavrilin, Boris Arapov, and Israel Finkelstein.
Project Initiatives
Throughout her career, Sharapova has been involved in numerous concert projects. In the 1990s, she organized and performed in "The Musical Culture of Russia in the 18th and 19th Centuries" and "Rimsky-Korsakov in the Context of Two Epochs" at the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Museum-Apartment. In the 2000s, she launched concert series at venues such as the White Hall of the Polytechnic University, the Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir, and the Small Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic.
"Petersburg Salon Today"
One of Sharapova's longest-running projects is "Petersburg Salon Today," which has been held monthly in the Oak Hall of the Vladimir Palace for over ten years.
International Festival "Three Centuries of Classical Romance"
In 2003, Sharapova co-founded the International Festival "Three Centuries of Classical Romance" with Elena Gaudasinskaya. The festival takes place annually in St. Petersburg and features a vocal-piano duet competition every two years. Since 2007, a young composers' competition has been incorporated as well.
Pedagogical Influence
Sharapova's teaching legacy has resulted in the training of over 250 professional piano-concertmasters. Her notable students include Dmitry Efimov, Alexander Selitzer, and Aleksandra Voronina. She has also served as a jury member for numerous international competitions.
Family and Personal Life
Irina Sharapova's son, Alexander Boldachev, is a renowned harpist, composer, and educator.
