My name is Ilinca Vartic, I am a pianist and a piano teacher.
I’m the founder of PianoCareerAcademy.com – a unique online Piano Coaching Program where I share the secrets of the Russian Piano School via my holistic approach to piano playing, music and lifestyle.
I have a Master degree in Musical Art – Instrumental Performance (The Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts from Chisinau, Moldova, 2006).
In 2004 I graduated the same Academy with the University degree of Bachelor of music, specialization Piano.
In 1999 I graduated the Republican Musical Lyceum “C. Porumbescu” from Moldova, specialization Piano.
I began to study piano at the age of 6. I had the great honor of being the student of two renowned piano professors: Lia Oxinoit (during the lyceum years) and Ludmila Vaverco (during the Academy years). Prof. Vaverco was a student of the legendary Bertha Reingbald (who also taught Emil Gilels).
Besides playing and teaching piano, I’m also constantly researching and practicing different self-improvement systems: meditation, training, healthy nutrition and other methods of improving the quality of our life. In order to have a fulfilled piano career, practicing piano and studying the theory of music (and other related subjects) is absolutely not enough. Everything has to be balanced in our life – body and mind, practice and theory, movement and stillness, music and silence.
It’s impossible to make considerable progresses in a certain field (in our case – piano playing) without deeply knowing yourself, the surrounding universe and your mutual interaction. That’s why the word ‘harmony’ has to reach its true complex meaning given by the ancient philosophers, thus helping us to have a fulfilled life, where music and piano will have a special, shining place.
PianoCareer.com and PianoCareerAcademy.com are dedicated to this new perspective on piano playing. I created these projects for sharing my experience and my holistic approach to instrumental performance, as well as showing you the most important principles of the Russian piano school.
If you would like to learn more about my adventurous piano journey, you can also take a look at our About page on PianoCareerAcademy.
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Here are some piano tutorial lessons you’ll enjoy:
Developing a Brilliant Piano Technique – The Holistic Professional Approach
Hi Ilinca,
I watched your video on piano injuries. Bravo! I wanted to connect with you because I’m finishing a book entitled The Skilled Pianist: The Mastery of Weight Distribution and Its Role In Artistic Expression. It will be published by Rowman & Littlefield, but I still have to write a new chapter – “Injury – The Dragon” The message is to play with as much natural arm weight as possible to avoid injury, to produce a warm sound, and to conquer technical issues as well.
I would love to have a dialog with you on this as you have devoted a great deal of effort to the subject. Please reach out, and I’ll send you a sample chapter. Thanks,
-Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for your message and your appreciation – and it’s great to meet you!
Your book sounds wonderful – and I’m so happy to hear that you are writing about weighted playing!
I would love to help, but my eternal dilemma is time (or, better said, lack thereof). I’ve been running PianoCareerAcademy since 2012, and I still don’t know how to fit all my work in – I only manage to do about 10% of what I have planned. Sadly, this makes discussions and email correspondence extremely difficult.
However, I’m definitely not refusing a possible dialogue – I’m just not sure when I would be able to do it, given my overloaded schedule.
We can keep in touch in the meantime!
Warmest,
Ilinca
Hi Ilinca,
Happy New Year!
My question is: there is any chance to start learning piano at 56 years old. I play quitar and I have basic music knoledge.
Thank you so much,
Aurelian
Hi Aurelian!
Thank you for your comment and I apologize for the delayed reply! We are currently traveling and things are a bit hectic.
Yes, absolutely – you can learn how to play piano at any age! I explain everything in my detailed reply to question No. F3 from our FAQs at PianoCareerAcademy.com. I hope it helps you to make a good and informed decision!
Cheers,
Ilinca
Hello Ilinca,
which is your favorite classical recording ever? (if you had to choose only one).
Me, 1965 Chopin Concerto for Piano and orchestra N° 2 in F minor, Op. 21 played by Andre Watts with the New York Philarmonic conducted by Thomas Schippers.
Best.
Antonio
Hi Antonio!
Well, I have never had ‘absolute favorites’ in any field – there’s just too much awesomeness in this world.
I love many great pianists, and I have listened to hundreds (if not thousands) of amazing recordings. Look up Emil Gilels or Grigory Sokolov – anything they play is wonderful! And, of course, even mentioning their names is unfair to all the other fantastic pianists out there.
Hi Ilinca,
Thanks for your prompt reply.
I agree with you, so many great pianists so devoted to their art.
I love Emil Gilels. Pianists like him (or Sviatoslav Richter, just to name another) have so much depth. Every note and every passage is poignant and beautiful.
I would love it if you’d make some videos about music appreciation, maybe analyzing your favorite pianists’ recording and making us neofites better understand why they are great.
Thanks again for your wonderful contribution in behalf of music and my best wishes for your present and future endeavors.
Thank you, Antonio! I probably won’t have time for ‘music appreciation’ videos in the near future (even though it’s a great idea!) – but I always post recordings of great pianists in the Members Area, for almost every piece I teach. They are an inseparable part of the learning experience :).