Biography

Tatiana Stupak's life in music
Tatiana Stupak was born into a non-musical family. Nevertheless, at the age of 2, her father bought her a piano. When she was 5, she started learning at a local music school. But at age 7, her parents were advised to send her to the special music school of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She studied in the class of Rubina Asya, who had been the very first student at the school, and after graduating, had decided to continue on as a teacher. During her studies, Tatiana won a Bach international competition and an Organ international competition in Russia. Also she gave concerts all over Germany, in Austria and in Russia. After 11 years at the school, she continued her studies at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in the class of Professor Leonid Sintsev. Tatiana graduated from the Conservatory after 5 years, and moved to Cyprus.
In 2011 a musician friend persuaded her to join the Limassol Pianists' Circle – a small group of enthusiastic pianists who met a few times each year to play to each other, after practising to improve their playing standards. That group was dissolved in 2012, after which, Tatiana played only occasionally in private to a few friends.

Then early in 2015 she was invited to play by her composer friend David Pentecost at a meeting of the recently formed Music Appreciation Group of C3A Limassol; she accepted, and played at the group's first live music event held in June at the home of one of its members, who had a fine Steinway grand piano.

This concert was such a success that there was a demand for more live music. David asked Tatiana to play again, this time at his home, for some of his friends. Her performances were very successful, and after some persuasion, she decided to have a public concert. David offered to explore the possibility of her giving public recitals and to help with the necessary administrative tasks.

Research into available halls in Cyprus with a good piano resulted in a short list of possible venues. But booking a hall by a relatively unknown pianist was not a simple matter. Tatiana first had to hire a recording studio in order to produce a few tracks for eventual production of a CD. In September, these first recordings were sent to the management of one of the short-listed venues, who responded enthusiastically, agreeing to Tatiana's playing a recital. Further recording sessions took place as part of the plan to issue a CD in due course.
In September she was asked to play at a charity event in Limassol. It was here that she was fortunate enough to be heard by President Anastasiades and the First Lady, who were in attendance, and she was invited to attend the forthcoming Cyprus-Russian Gala at the presidential palace.

Another piano recital followed, at the Russian House in Limassol in December, as part of the Christmas festivities.

Tatiana's first public professional recital in Cyprus was arranged for Friday, 29th January, at the Technopolis 20 Cultural Centre in Paphos. The concert was a sell-out, and people had to be turned away at the door. Tatiana played classical pieces by Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev and Schumann, and after the interval, her friend Leonid Nesterov played some jazz standards, including some of his own compositions.

In April and in May 2016 she played solos and accompanied the tenor Marios Charalambous at the Technohoros ETHAL theatre in Limassol, and then at the Technopolis 20 Cultural Centre again.
In June she began what is now planned as an annual birthday charity concert, and the venue chosen was Peter's Gallery in Limassol. As well as playing solos, she accompanied the visiting soprano from Moscow, Tatiana Kokoreva, and once more Marios Charalambous. At this point in her career, Tatiana began to receive invitations to play at various events.

October 2016 was to be a busy month for Tatiana. The village of Monagri held an outdoor concert in the village square, and she was asked to play. She invited Marios Charalambous and Russian soprano Tatiana Kokoreva, who was again visiting Cyprus, to join her. Less than a week after the Monagri event, a concert for both Tatianas was arranged at Technopolis in Paphos. And at the end of the month, Tatiana was invited to play some solos in Limassol at the Lanitio Lyceum A hall, as part of the 2nd International Charity Festival, known as 'Art Kyprida'.

In January 2017, tenor Marios Charalambous asked Tatiana to accompany him in some religious songs at the Katholiki Church in Limassol old town. To celebrate the Tatyana name day at the end of January, some entertainment was arranged at Limassol's Russian House, and Tatiana accompanied the soprano Alysa Kuchinskaya.

One month later, Tatiana was invited to play at the opening of a new art gallery in Limassol, called Dreams Gallery. She asked cellist Robert Grod, a Lithuanian cellist who works in Nicosia to take part, and she accompanied him.
And four days later, at the end of March, Tatiana was invited to play in Nicosia at the Russian Cultural Centre, where she performed a Schumann Intermezzo and a Chopin Etude.

In May, she arranged a concert at Technopolis in Paphos, playing with cellist Robert Grod.

June 2017 was an exceptionally busy month, with four events taking place. Firstly, the Cyprus Art Festival was held in a small hall in Limassol old port, where the artist Irina Sigitova exhibited some of her works; she asked Tatiana to accompany her on the piano, while she painted a portrait in a limited time. A few days later, another open air charity event was arranged in Monagri village, supported by Limassol's Mayor, and Tatiana was invited to play again. She accompanied other performers who were visiting from Russia: Tatiana Kokoreva, Maria Volkova (violin) and Artëm Volkov (tenor). The music events were filmed and some of them are now on YouTube.

Then Tatiana was asked to play at the annual Cyprus-Russian Festival in Limassol's open air Garden Theatre. She once more accompanied soprano Tatiana Kokoreva, and artist Irina Sigitova.
June 15th was the most significant day of 2017. Tatiana had taken the bold decision a few months previously, to hire Limassol's newly renovated Pattichion Municipal Theatre for her second annual birthday charity concert. Three professional musicians who flew from Moscow specially for the event, gave their time freely; they were the soprano Tatiana Kokoreva, violinist Maria Volkova and the tenor Artëm Volkov. Tatiana accompanied them on the piano, as well as playing solo piano works, one of which was a nocturne, written for her by Limassol-based composer friend David Pentecost. She played a duet with the Paphos pianist Natalia Lezedova, who also performed several solo works, including a Mélodie written by Pentecost. The Nicosia cellist Robert Grod played a solo work, and was accompanied in two other pieces by Tatiana. Some variety from pure classical music was provided by the talented Limassol artist Irina Sigitova, and by two acrobats, Olga Yudina and Liza Boykova, who gave spectacular performances high above the stage.
The event was an enormous success: about 400 people attended, resulting in over €1000 being raised for a children's charity.

In July 2017, Tatiana started a new venture, teaching piano. She installed a grand piano at the Tatiana Stupak Music Tuition Centre, which was opened at the Russian House in Limassol. The centre is now being extended for tuition of other instruments.

On October 4th, Tatiana played a recital for the first time in Nicosia, at the Kasteliotissa Medieval Hall with her pianist friend Natalia Lezedova. They performed a hugely successful programme of romantic era and baroque music, in the magnificent setting of the ancient monument, to an audience of over a hundred people.

On 25th October, Tatiana played at the Russian House, for an event celebrating the life and work of Cyprus' national poet, Vasilis Michaelides, who died in 1917; Limassol's mayor, Nicos Nicolaides, introduced the evening, Tatiana translating his speech into Russian. Following a talk about the poet, and examples of his work, Tatiana played two piano solo works, and accompanied two singers, Julia Rapoport and Violetta Larina.

Tatiana has connections with several international musicians, who are keen to visit Cyprus to perform with her. On December 1st at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol, she was invited to play at a special dinner, arranged by the Cyprus-Russian Business Association (CyRuBA) for the award of Russian Business Woman of the Year in Cyprus. The event was attended by President Anastasiades, and Tatiana persuaded three professionals from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow to perform: soprano Daria Davydova, violist Ekaterina Ivanenko and flautist Natalia Bereslavtseva. The Lithuanian cellist, Robert Grod, who works in Nicosia assisting talented young musicians, also played.
On 13th January 2018, Tatiana played some piano solos as part of a Russian poetry reading event.

On February 11th 2018, Tatiana will give a private recital in Limassol of compositions by her friend and mentor David Pentecost. This will be repeated in public in Paphos at Technopolis 20 two days later. It was David who persuaded and encouraged her not to 'waste' her many years of training at the St Petersburg Conservatory by playing only for herself, but to allow the public to hear her music. For three years, he has been helping her with organisational, promotional and other administrative matters for her concerts in Cyprus. She said: "Without David, there would be no concerts, no music tuition centre, no YouTube recordings - in fact, no career in music. He has changed my life!"
18th January 2018

Four of the musicians from the Four Seasons event also gave a public concert on 3rd December at the town hall in Agios Athanasios, organised by the Mayors of Agios Athanasios and Mesa Geitonia, raising money for a children's charity.
On 8th December, Tatiana and cellist Robert Grod performed a music programme at a concert at the Technopolis 20 Cultural Centre in Paphos.
On 13th January 2018, Tatiana played some piano solos as part of a Russian poetry reading event.

On February 11th 2018, Tatiana will give a private recital in Limassol of compositions by her friend and mentor David Pentecost. This will be repeated in public in Paphos at Technopolis 20 two days later. It was David who persuaded and encouraged her not to 'waste' her many years of training at the St Petersburg Conservatory by playing only for herself, but to allow the public to hear her music. For three years, he has been helping her with organisational, promotional and other administrative matters for her concerts in Cyprus. She said: "Without David, there would be no concerts, no music tuition centre, no YouTube recordings - in fact, no career in music. He has changed my life!"
18th January 2018