Vadim Mazo
Associate Professor of Music
Head of String Department
Illinois Wesleyan University
Vadim Mazo has pursued a career as a teacher, soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. He studied at the Byelorussian State Conservatory in Minsk with Michael Goldstein, a student of Pyotr Stoliasky. From 1968 to 1980, he was a soloist with the Byelorussian Philharmonic and performed with the Minsk Chamber Orchestra and the Byelorussian Symphony Orchestra. He performed on radio, television, and with performance tours throughout the former Soviet Union with such international artists as O. Kagan, M. Rostropovich and M. Shostakovich, among others. He immigrated to the United States in 1980. Prior to coming to Illinois Wesleyan University, Mr. Mazo collaborated with the Fine Arts Quartet and held teaching positions at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and the University of Evansville.
Mr. Mazo founded and directed the Illinois Wesleyan Camerata, an ensemble which Ovation magazine deemed “excellent by any standard.” It toured the former Soviet Union, Germany, and England, and performed in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in with the “Music for Peace” program.
Mr. Mazo founded the Ameropa Musical Arts Festival in 1993, an organization dedicated to the collaboration of American and European chamber musicians and ensembles. Having experienced that music is an international language that crosses all borders, Mr. Mazo chose Prague for its central location and rich musical heritage that greatly enhances the harmony and understanding inherent in the artistic experience.
Professor Mazo is a devoted teacher and pedagogue, whose activities have taken him around the world, from American music schools such as Northwestern University, Lawrence University, the Universities of Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Long Beach California to Greece, Spain, the Czech Republic, Japan, England, Germany, Canada, the Conservatoire Superior in Paris, and elsewhere in France. More recently he has conducted master classes in Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Russia, and Byelorussia. He has taught and performed at the Boccherini and Mozart-issimo festivals in Madrid, the Mozart in Monterey festival, the Southeastern Music Center, the B. Martinu festival in Prague, and the Interlochen Chamber Music Conference.
Professor Mazo is an active performer both as violinist and violist, and was featured in a 1992 Carnegie Recital Hall concert, “Homage to Shostakovich.” He has appeared as both conductor and soloist with the Suk Chamber Orchestra in the Prague Spring Festival, with the Virtuosi di Praga, and most recently with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
Davide Gandino
Davide Gandino started his musical studies in Flute, Composition and Music Education at the Conservatory of Milan when he was 10 years old.
He has followed international refinement courses with the Masters Robert Stallman, Conrad Klemm, Severino Gazzelloni, Alain Marjon, Maxence Larrieu and Peter-Lukas Graf, with whom he successfully graduated at the Accademia Internazionale Superiore di Musica “L. Perosi” of Biella.
He took part in several festivals and concert seasons; among the most important concert seasons are Teatro Petruzzelli of Bari and in Milan Societa’ dei Concerti e del Giardino, Musica Rara, Teatro Filodrammatici, Centro Asteria, Circolo della Stampa, Sala Verdi of Conservatory, Palazzina Liberty, Auditorium of Largo Mahler and Milano Classica.
He has collaborated as first flute with among the most prestigious symphonic orchestras: Teatro Regio of Parma and RAI of Milan under the guide of important conductors.
Very young he recorded, as first flute broadcasted WORLDWIDE, the fourth symphony of Ciaikovski for the realisation of the film “Le magnifiche sei” recorded by RAI 1, in collaboration with the Sinfoniceskij Orkestr – Moscovskj U.R.S.S., Carnegie-Mellon University Symphony Orchestra – Pittsburg U.S.A. and the Orchestra Sinfonica of the Conservatory of Milan, conducted by M° Vladimir Delman.
He has debuted as Conductor with “Orchestra Giovanili” in prestigious Halls, such as the Palazzina Liberty, the Auditorium of Largo Mahler and the Sala Verdi of the Conservatory of Milan obtaining an extraordinary success of public.
He has a rich discographic production of his CDs. He has collaborated in world premiere with the discographic labels “Dinamic” and “Maia Records” for the realization of the following CDs: “Chamber Works for Guitar”, “Connections” and “Fortimissimissimo” of Franco Fasano.
He has been invited as member of the jury at the international festival “Music World” di Fivizzano, international festival “Jugend musiziert” in Milan, V international singing competition “Felice Lattuada”, international festival of guitar and Flute in Elk, Poland (Elckie Stowarzyszenie Kulturalne).
He regularly gives summer musical lessons for the youngest and flute Master Class in Italy and abroad.
Recently he has been invited as concert player in quality of soloist with the Orchestra of Quito in Ecuador and in Yaroslavl Concert hall in Russia.
He collaborates stably with musicians of the Teatro alla Scala of Milan and carries out an intense activity as concert player as soloist and in different chamber formations in Italy and abroad (Germany, Switzerland, Middle East, Brazil, Finland, USA and Russia) collecting a big support from the public and the critique.
Among his students, there are many winners of first and second prizes in national and international competitions, Scholarships (even the Julliard School of New York) and first parts in prestigious orchestras (Teatro alla Scala, Pomeriggi Musicali ecc…).
Pavel Eliashevich
Professor of Piano and Chamber Ensemble
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia at St. Petersburg
Born 1969 in St. Petersburg, Russia, Pavel Eliashevich graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatoire as a pupil of Vadim Monastyrsky (Piano) and Tamara Fidler (Chamber ensemble). For several years he attended the “Holland Music Sessions” Academy where he studied with both of Eugene Indjic and Pascal Devoyon.
Mr. Eliashevich is Laureate of various international competitions in Germany and Italy. He is founder and artistic director of the noted Russian chamber ensemble “Musica Da Camera,” since 1998 known as the Ensemble of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society).
Mr. Eliashevich has appeared in recitals with noted singers, instrumentalists and with orchestras in the some of the most prestigious halls of St. Petersburg and abroad (Germany, Holland, Italy, Denmark, USA, etc.). He has made several recordings for radio broadcast and on CD labels. He appeared in the NHK-Japan TV documentary film “Culture of St. Petersburg” that subsequently received the UNESCO Annual Award in New York in 2000.
In 1993 he was appointed Professor of Piano and Chamber Ensemble at the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia at St. Petersburg. As guest professor he has presented numerous masterclasses abroad, including for the Royal Academy of Music, Copenhagen, Denmark, the Young Artists Performance Academy in Belgium, and in the USA at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Professor Eliashevich serves frequently on the jury of international competitions in Russia and Europe.
Since 2004 he participates as a solo pianist in Stravinsky’s “Les Noces” in the Mariinsky Theatre under the direction of conductor Valery Gergiev. Pavel Eliashevich has the distinction of presenting one of the first US performances of the first version of Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto in 2009.
Svetlana Smolina
Piano Program Director of the Philadelphia International Music Festival
Svetlana Smolina performed with orchestras and in recitals worldwide. A recipient of “New Names” scholarship program, her notable appearances with orchestras include Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, St.Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestra National de France, Odessa and Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, New Florida Philharmonic, Shreveport Symphony, New York Chamber. A frequent guest at festivals worldwide, Ms. Smolina has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Rising Stars, White Nights, Maggio Musicale, Mikkeli, Ruhr, Easter, Rotterdam Phillips Gergiev, International Gilmore, Settimane Musicali di Stresa, Michelangeli, Hennessy Artists Series at Hanoi Opera House, The Voice of Music in Upper Galilee,in Royal Covent Garden Opera, Mariinsky 3 Concert Hall, Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, Mozarteum, Merkin Hall, Kravis Center, NJPAC, Gulbenkian Foundation, Grand Artists Series in Tel-Aviv, Academia Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Recent recordings include Stravinsky’s Igor Stravinsky Les noces (Valery Gergiev, conductor on Decca/Phillips and on Mariinsky Label which received ICMA award for Best Choral Work in 2011), a recording of solo Chopin Album for the Chopin iTunes Project, Benjamin Britten Young Apollo live recording from Walt Disney Hall for BCM+D records and many broadcasts for NPR, BBC, PBS, RAI, Cultura TV and other networks.
In the summer of 2011 Svetlana joined iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles, making her debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall with iPalpiti Orchestra (Eduard Schmieder, conductor).
Since 2011 Svetlana is directing piano program at Philadelphia International Music Festival.
In 2014 Svetlana won “Live on Stage” live showcases and was chosen as their only Classical Pianist Artist for 2015-16 season. This upcoming tour brings her to more than 20 states. Svetlana recently was featured and gave an interview for Keyboard Magazine Other collaborations include a series of concerts with Robert Davi and Dave Konig at Eisenhower Park, Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater presented by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.
In 2014-15 Vadim Repin gave a series of concerts /presentation with Svetlana at the residences of Ambassador of Russia in Washington DC and in London UK for Maestro Repin ‘s Trans -Siberian Art Festival. Their recital in March 2015 in Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada received an astonishing critical acclaim. In July 2015 they performed a recital as part of “2015 – Russian Year in Monaco” in the Salle Garnier, Monte-Carlo Opera for Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
In 2015-16 season Svetlana opened the season with Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Juvenil in Lima, Peru, and was chosen as the soloist on the New Year tour to China with Dublin Philharmonic/ Maestro Derek Gleeson performing Rachmaninoff Concerto throughout in 7 cities including Suzhou Grand Theater, Harbin New Opera House and Harbin Concert Hall, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, Tianjin Grand Theater and in Changsha opening its new Concert Hall.
Highlights of 2016-2017 include performances and recordings at the inauguration year/ opening of Tippet Rise Festival in Montana together with Christopher O’ Riley with released CD on Pentatone Oxingale Records in July 2017, duo recitals with Vadim Repin at Cartagena Music Festival in Teatro Colon, Bogota for “2017 Columbia- France Year”, in Bangalore, Mumbai India for XXV Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy; Carnegie Hall recital with Lee-Chin Siow, Sentosa World Theater in Singapore concert for International Women Day/Chinese Chamber of Commerce, tour with South Florida Symphony / Maestra Sebrina Alfonso in Florida and a recital in Buenos Aires, Argentina at CCK Symphony Hall for “The Best Pianists of the 21st Century “series”.
Highlights of Spring 2018 include opening night concert at Navrasa Duende Global Carnival with Dublin Philharmonic on Nehru Stadium/ New Delhi, duo recital in Basel Switzerland with Charlie Siem, performances with Missouri Symphony and Eastern Connecticut Symphony, masterclasses/ workshops and concert tour in China for Winplus International and at Varna International Summer Academy in Bulgaria.
Invitations for 2019 include a concert at VI Trans-Siberian Arts Festival with Vadim Repin and Alexander Kniazev, masterclass at Trans- Siberian Art Festival in Novosibirsk for its educational program “ Simply Meet the Star”, debut at Lake Tahoe Festival with Maestro Joel Revzen with Rachamninoff 3 rd concerto, orchestra and solo debut at the Festival in Ushuaia, Argentina with invitation to become their annual Artist in Residence Pianist, orchestra concerts in 5 cities in Florida with South Florida Symphony, recitals in Sarasota for Chopin project, solo recital and recordings in Bangalore, India with Dr. Subramaniam for Sree Rama Seva Mandali Festival and an orchestra recording with Maestro Derek Gleeson and Pavel Sporcl at Bulgarian National Radio in Sofia, Bulgaria and a multi- media project with Maria Kononov in Moscow.
In Spring 2020 Svetlana will perform with National Symphony of Argentina in Buenos Aires and will go on tour to Brazil.
Svetlana studied at Indiana University with Professor Alexander Toradze, at Balakirev Music College with Natalia Fish, at Oberlin Conservatory with Monique Duphil and at University of Michigan with Arthur Greene.