Elena Larina, Pianist
Senior Lecturer for Coaching and Slavic Art Song
larina@mdw.ac.at

Mrs. Larina not only has excellent pianistic skills, but a strong feeling for working with singers. Her delight in music is nicely combined with an awake, critical musical understanding, and she is a not only empathetic, but also a partner with strong character for her singers. "(Helmut Deutsch)" “In my experience and exposure to Ms. Larina’s talents, it is clear that she possesses outstanding pianistic abilities, a fine technique, exceptional musicality, and the serious determination required for a musical profession.” (Thomas Hampson)

Elena Larina was born in Russia. Her interest in German art-song led her to Vienna, where she has lived since 1997. Elena Larina received her first piano lessons at the age of seven. After attending the Lysenko Music Gymnasium in Kiev, she completed her piano and music studies at the National Tchaikovsky Music Academy. Piano, chamber music, accompaniment and pedagogy Master's degree 2000 Musicology Master's degree (specialization in Western and Eastern European music of the 19th century) 1999 She studied at the Vienna University of Music with David Lutz (2000-2003 postgraduate course piano vocal accompaniment) With Helmut Deutsch at the Munich Music College (2003-2004). While studying in Vienna for the first time, a scholarship was given to her by the Richard Wagner Association (visit Bayreuth Festspiele 2002) and the Thyll-Dürr Foundation (2003-2004). Participation in the exchange project of the Vienna University of Music and the Prague Academy of Music 2003 Masterclasses with Paul Hamburger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Hampson, Christa Ludwig, Roger Vignoles and Brigitte Fassbaender complete her studies. Elena Larina has travelled to Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, the Czech Republic and the USA to hold concerts. Many years of collaboration with ACF in London, Kiev, Washington. As a pianist she is often a guest at the Vienna Musikverein and the Konzerthaus, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Wigmore Hall in London, at the Allegro Vivo festival, as well as the  Schubertiade, Schwarzenberg- and Styriarte- festivals. Her song partners include Daniel Johannsen, Mathias Hausmann, Robert Holl, Klemens Sander, Sandra Trattnigg, Markus Werba and Andrei Bondarenko, and Horst Lamnek. Since 2006 Larina has been working regularly at the Salzburg Festival, among others as Liedcoach at the Young Singers Project 2008/09 with Barbara Bonney and Michael Schade. The pianist was the winner of numerous awards at prestigious song competitions, most recently the "The Jean Meikle Prize for the Best Duo" of the Wigmore Hall Song Competition (2007) and the song prize of the 9th Int. Mozart competition in Salzburg (2006) with Daniel Johannsen. CD, radio and television recordings (ORF, BBC, MBM music production, National Radiocompany of Ukraine).

Since 2003, she is the world's first female composer to be named "Bösendorfer Artist" by the piano company Bösendorfer in the succession of such important composers as David Lutz and Charles Spencer. Elena Larina is a sought-after pianist for master-classes by Christa Ludwig, Thomas Quasthoff and Franz Grundheber. Since 2008, she has also regularly given her own master classes in German Art-Song for singers and pianists at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kiev. Since 2005, the artist has been teaching at the Institute for Voice of the Vienna University of Music. SS 2012  Her own institute project Russian for singers (more intensive learning Russian phonetics and repertoire during the semester with a final concert) WS 2014, together with the Prof. Seifried, Ensemble lessons for singers of the Lied classes In 2009, the pianist became Austrian citizen thanks to her artistic activity as a composer. Language skills: Russian, Ukrainian, German, English, French, Czech