Vadim Monastyrsky

Vadim Naumovich Monastyrsky, born on December 12, 1945, is a distinguished pianist and educator. He holds the titles of Honored Artist of the Bashkir ASSR (1977) and Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1986). Currently a professor at the Rubin Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, he is also the founder of a music boarding school for gifted children, continuing the traditions of the Russian piano school abroad.

Born in Leningrad, Monastyrsky began his musical journey at the S. S. Lyakhovitskaya Music School and later attended the Rimsky-Korsakov College, where he studied under Natalia Shpigel and Marianna Frendlikh. After an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Leningrad Conservatory, he moved to Moscow and was accepted into the Gnessin State Musical College. There, he studied in the class of Professor Theodor Gutman, a distinguished pupil of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus.

Upon graduating from the Gnessin Institute in 1970, Monastyrsky was assigned to a teaching position at the Ufa Academy of Arts. While teaching, he continued his postgraduate studies with Professor Gutman until 1973. His time in Ufa was marked by intense concert activity; he performed several large programs almost every month. He also established a cherished tradition with his classmate Igor Lavrov, presenting a grand piano recital annually on their professor Theodor Gutman's birthday.

After seventeen years of dedicated teaching, extensive concert tours across the country, and achieving success at international competitions, Vadim Monastyrsky returned to his native city in the late 1980s. He took up the position of associate professor in the special piano department at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1990, he made the significant decision to immigrate to Israel with his family.

Since his move, Monastyrsky has served as a professor at the Rubin Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He arrived in Israel with his student, Daria Orlova, who would become his second wife. Daria completed her studies at the Tel Aviv Music Academy, pursued postgraduate work in St. Petersburg, and ultimately earned her doctorate in Cologne under Professor Pavel Gililov.

In 2006, Vadim and Daria Monastyrsky founded the 'Piano Academy' in their private home in Hod HaSharon, Israel. This unique music boarding school was established based on the principles of the 19th-century Russian pianist Nikolai Zverev, who famously ran a music pension in Moscow that nurtured prodigious talents such as Rachmaninoff and Igumnov. The academy provides a holistic environment where gifted children live, study, and immerse themselves in music.

The pedagogical philosophy at the Monastyrsky academy is deeply rooted in the Russian piano school, emphasizing a 'singing' tone, technical freedom, and, most importantly, artistic taste and profound respect for the composer's original score. Monastyrsky is a sought-after jury member for international competitions in Portugal, the United States, and Spain, and since 2007, he has been on the jury of the Zagir Ismagilov International Competition in Ufa. He continues to give master classes and concerts, and has authored articles and memoirs about musicians.

Monastyrsky's dedication to his art was exemplified by his perseverance in competitions. After seven attempts at All-Union selection rounds, he finally qualified for the prestigious Liszt-Bartók Competition in Budapest. In 1976, he won the third prize, a testament to his artistic maturity and versatile musicality. He has two sons from his first marriage to Galia Kamaeva, and two sons from his second marriage to Daria Orlova.

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