Profile
Marina Obukovsky lives and works in New York City where she is a sought-after piano teacher, performer, and clinician. According to the American Suzuki Journal, “Marina is a true musician and passionate about music, with the ear of a superhuman, able to distinguish the most nuanced of nuances.”
Ms. Obukovsky currently holds faculty positions at the School for Strings, where she is a Head of Piano Department and the Director of the Piano Seminar at Teacher Training Pedagogy Program, and at the New School University’ Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division . As a dedicated and inspiring teacher, Ms. Obukovsky maintains a full studio of pianists, ranging from beginner to pre-college level. Her students frequently participate in master classes with renowned pianists and have won of many of New York’s prestigious competitions, performing at venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Symphony Space. Many of her students continue their training at conservatories and major in music at college.
In demand as a clinician and teacher, Ms. Obukovsky has given numerous workshops in New York, Washington DC, Maine, Vermont, Texas, and Bermuda. During the past years, she has taught at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Germany, the InterHarmony Festival in Arcidosso, Tuscany, Italy,at the “Accademia di Musica Lorenzo Perosi” in Biella,Italy, and at the Suzuki in the Dolomites Music Academy International, in Dolomites region, Italy. A longtime faculty member at the Hartt Suzuki Institute in Connecticut, she additionally joined the faculty of the Berkshire Summer Music Camp in Massachusetts in 2014.
Ms. Obukovsky received her Master of Music degree (cum laude) in performance, chamber music, collaborative piano and pedagogy from Kharkov Conservatory, Ukraine. She studied piano with Professor Tatyana Verkina (former student of Stanislav Neuhaus and Vladimir Malinin at Moscow Conservatory). An accomplished pianist, she has performed chamber music recitals throughout Ukraine, Russia, and has served as an accompanist for the National Opera Competitions in Moscow, Odessa, Lvov, and Kiev. She was a former faculty of the Kharkov Conservatory (currently Kharkov National University of Arts).
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Obukovsky frequently collaborates with fellow musicians in cello–piano duos, as well as in 4–8 hands piano ensembles. Ms. Obukovsky is currently a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Associated Music Teachers League, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas
Degrees Held
M.M.(cum laude) in Performance, Pedagogy and Chamber Music- Kharkov National University of Arts (former Kharkov Conservatory), Ukraine
Certified Suzuki Teacher Trainer (Suzuki Association of the Americas)
Professional Affiliation
Member of Music Teachers National Association, Suzuki Association of the Americas, Associated Music Teachers League.
Awards And Honors
First Prize Winner, National College Competition, Kharkov, Ukraine- 1980
Best Accompanist Diploma, National Opera Competition, Odessa, Ukraine- 1986