Irina Smolyakova
About Irina
EDUCATION​
Irina started her piano journey in Kharkov, Ukraine, where she began taking lessons at the age of 7. After graduating from Lyatoshinskii music college she moved to the United States where she continued to study piano at California State University, Fresno. She graduated with a Master of Arts degree in piano performance in 2015.
While being a student at the university, Irina has won the CSU Fresno Concerto Competition and appeared as a guest performer at KVPR Radio station. She has participated in master classes with Vahan Mardirossian, Elena Kushnerova, Markus Groh, Vardan Mamikonian, Giuseppe Andaloro, Biljana Urban, Jon Nakamatsu, and Sergei Babayan, all guest artists for the Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts series in Fresno, California.
Listen to Irina perform L. van Beethoven Sonata No. 30, op. 117, 1st movement
Performing Experience
Throughout her career, Irina has demonstrated her versatility through a diverse array of performances. She has given numerous solo recitals and performed as a soloist with the Fresno State Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Irina has served as an orchestral pianist, and she has performed with the Fresno Philharmonic, Monterey Symphony, and Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Her collaborative work extends to various chamber groups, solo instrumentalists, vocalists, and choirs. In May of 2016 Irina was featured as a chamber pianist in the Orpheus Chamber Music Ensemble concert series at California State University, Fresno. Most recent performance includes Bach to Blues concert in Gavilan College in May of 2021, where Irina performed a piece for 2 pianos with Maria Amirkhanian.
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​Although Irina's background and training are rooted in classical piano, her musical experience extends beyond the classical realm. For many years, she played keyboard in a contemporary church band in Gilroy, CA, and has provided live piano music for a variety of private events and special occasions, including Christmas parties and formal dinners.
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