OUR TEACHERS
EKATERINA TERENTYEVA - PIANO
Ekaterina Terentyeva is the owner and head faculty member of the Blüthner School of Music in Hoboken, NJ.
Ekaterina was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she earned her degree in piano performance. Ekaterina has had the opportunity to study with world class teachers in Russia and the US.
While pursuing her musical dreams, Ekaterina achieved another considerable achievement – a Master’s Degree in Accounting, which she received from the St. Petersburg State Agrarian University in 2009.
Ekaterina’s successes in finances and music sparked in her an interest in opening a music school. Her enterprising skills gained the attention of one of the finest piano manufacturing companies in the world – Blüthner Pianos in Leipzig, Germany. After signing a Partnership Contract with renowned firm in 2016, Ekaterina opened Blüthner School of Music in Hoboken which in just two years received an award as the best music school in Hoboken.
Students from Blüthner School of Music have won numerous awards at competitions in New York and New Jersey. Every year, they have opportunities to perform at such venues as Carnegie Weil Hall and National Opera Center in New York.
Ekaterina has also launched the Emerald-Blüthner Concert Series. This monthly series allows faculty members and students of the school to bring the beauty of music to the community and inspire the next generation of young musicians.
Ekaterina resides in Hoboken, where she is a mom of two.
GLEB IVANOV - PIANO
Ever since his auspicious New York debut, pianist Gleb Ivanov has been recognized as an important presence in the music world. The New York Times wrote: Gleb Ivanov “is a cut above the usual, a young super-virtuoso, with musical sensitivity and an appreciation of style to go with the thunder and lightning.” He has been thrilling audiences in recital and orchestra engagements, which this season include concertos highlighting Russian composers – Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3, and Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3.
A sought-after soloist, he has performed a wide range of repertoire with orchestras including the Symphony Orchestras of Missouri, Johnstown, West Michigan, Eastern Connecticut, South Bend, Westmoreland, Southwest Florida, Peoria, Knoxville, Dearborn, Las Cruces, Grand Rapids, Fort Smith, Southern Finger Lakes, Springfield and Napa Valley, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
View videos of Gleb performing here.
Narek Arutyunian - Clarinet
Clarinetist Narek Arutyunian is an artist who “reaches passionate depths with seemingly effortless technical prowess and beguiling sensitivity” (The Washington Post). As soloist with orchestra, his performances include the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Artie Shaw’s Concerto for Clarinet with The Boston Pops Orchestra at the Boston Symphony Hall, the Mozart Concerto with the Rockford Symphony in Illinois, Oregon’s Newport Symphony and New York’s St. Thomas Orchestra, appearances with Prague Radio Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of the China National Opera House at Beijing Concert Hall, the Kaliningrad Philharmonic, the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, and a recording of the Weber Concertino for clarinet with the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra.
As First Prize Winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Mr. Arutyunian was presented in debut recitals in New York at Merkin Concert Hall and in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center to rave reviews. He has also been engaged to perform at Carnegie’s Weill Recital and the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and for the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Lied Center of Kansas, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Aaron Copland School of Music/Queens College, Iowa State, Pepperdine, Southern Adventist and Missouri State Universities. In addition to solo recitals, he consistently receives acclaim for his educational outreach programs in New York City public schools and around the country.
Mr. Arutyunian has performed extensively in Australia, Asia and in Europe, including recitals at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Palazzo del Principe in Genoa and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Festival appearances include the Tanglewood Festival; return engagements at the Marlboro Music Festival, Juilliard’s ChamberFest, where he performed Osvaldo Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers, the New York Festival of Song, Krzyzowa Music Festival in Poland, Germany’s Usedomer Musikfestival, Concertino Praga South Bohemia Festival in Czech Republic, Musica Viva’s Huntington Estate and Sydney festivals in Australia, Young Concert Artists Festivals in Tokyo and Beijing. He has also performed as both a clarinetist and Klezmer soloist at the Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish off-Broadway production in New York City.
ALLA MILCHTEIN - piano
Born in Russia, but growing up in Mexico, Alla discovered her love for the collaborative arts at early age. Since then she has enjoyed an international career as a collaborative pianist to emerging stars in the musical world. She maintains an active performing career with vocal and instrumental partners and chamber ensembles.
Currently Alla is staff pianist at Mannes College New School for Music where she works for the College and Prep divisions. Past positions include being part of the accompanying staff at the Rotterdam Conservatory (The Netherlands), the Rudolf Steiner College (The Netherlands), Scuola di Musica di Fiesole (Italy) and the Jalisco State Choir (Mexico).
Alla has performed at festivals throughout Europe, Mexico and the United States, including The Cervantino International Music Festival in Guanajuato (Mexico), Festival de Mazatlán (Mexico), "Kamermuziek Festival tussen Maas & Waal" (The Netherlands), "Het Rusische Muziek" (The Netherlands), Beverly Hills Chamber Music Festival (United States), Lucca Music Festival 2008 (Italy), Aspen Music Festival (United States), and Glimmerglass Festival (United States).
Ms. Milchtein served as a staff pianist at Competitions, including Mannes Concerto Competition, international Voice Competition (Sinaloa, Mexico), Postacchini International Violin Competition (Italy), Vriendenkrans Concours of Concertgebouw (The Netherlands), etc.
As as a coach/répétiteur, Ms. Milchtein has previously worked for Glimmerglass Opera, Aspen Opera, New Opera NYC, Jalisco State Opera (Guadalajara, México), Rotterdamse Opera Productions ,"Blue Bottle” Opera Company (The Netherlands), Vocedidone Opera Studio (The Netherlands) and “Pepita Embil” Zarzuela Company (Guadalajara, México).
Alla Milchtein received both a Bachelor’ s degree in Piano Performance and Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Chamber Music from Rotterdam Conservatory (The Netherlands), where she studied with Mila Baslawskaja.
Ms. Milchtein also pursued her Professional Studies in Collaborative Piano at Mannes College New School for Music (New York) where she studied with Cristina Stanescu. During her studies she was awarded a scholarship and was also a recipient of “excellence in accompanying” award.
Ms. Milchtein was awarded a fellowship from COJECO Blue Print to record a CD of solo piano music of Jewish composers from around the world titled "Musical Journeys through the Jewish Diaspora" which was released in 2015.
Yelena Kolpakova - Music Theory
Born in Russia in the family of an air force pilot. Mother played accordion and sang folk song. Since 5 years old, I sang on television and attended music school. I attended Rostov School of Art, majored in theory of music and piano. Upon graduation, I was sent to the regional music school. 1980-1986, Attended Rostov-on-Don Conservatory named after Rachmaninoff (renamed the Musical Pedagogical Institute). Majored in Theory and History of Music. Worked as an accompanist at V. Rastorotsky Then married, in Kiev 1983-1990 Accompanist of the School of Rhythmic gymnastic of Olympic reserve, created custom made compositions for individual gymnasts. 1990-1993 Kiev school of art Piano teacher Moved to US in 1996, worked as a piano and sol-fa teacher, group & individual lessons What are my ambitions and goals? *Child psychology *The influence of music on the development of the child *Theory of Music on the Development of Logic *The relationship of musical and mathematical thinking in children. My Thesis was based upon the above mentioned. *Piano technique and a love for improvisation.”