Teachers
Our Faculity
Victoria Strochkova
Studio Director, Piano/Violin/Viola
Victoria Strochkova studied violin at the R. M. Glier Kiev State Music Collage under the instruction L. B.
Shukhman from 1984 to 1988. She continued her violin study at Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music in Kiev under the instruction of prof. V. V. Kozin and prof. A.N. Gorokhov.
Victoria started teaching children during her studies and continued her commitment to young musicians throughout her career. After graduation she became a full time teacher, dedicating herself to exceptional music instruction in technique, music theory and performance skills. Since emigrating to the United States, she played in local orchestras including Russian Chamber Orchestra under direction of Alexander Verishagin and Pro-Art Symphony conducted under maestro James Gardner.
In 1998 she relocated to San Ramon with her family and a year earlier she joined the MTAC association. She was balancing her career between raising her own children and teaching music privately. In 2006 she founded Strochkova Music Studio and a few years later she established new school San Ramon Music and Fine Art School offering wide selection of classes with collaboration of other great local teachers.
She shared and enriched her teaching experience in another local school: Radayeva Music School for three years (2006-2009) and after some break she came back to teach in this school again. Victoria prepared numerous students for local youth orchestra such Berkeley Youth Orchestra, Youth Orchestra Gradus ad Parnassum, Oakland Youth Orchestra San Francisco Youth Orchestra, Cal State East Bay University Orchestra. Her students were concertmasters of the first violin in Oakland Youth Orchestra and others.
Victoria has been an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California since 1997. She is preparing her students for CM test, CM Honors, Panel, ABARSM and other programs. As part of her curriculum students are successfully prepared for orchestra and college auditions. Her 30 years teaching experience allows for a customized approach to attain each student’s goal.
Anton Demyshev
Violin/Viola
Anton Demyshev was born in the city of Mednogorsk (Orenburg region) and began studing music in the violin class at the Children's Art School in Mednogorsk with the teacher Elena Gazizovna Amelchenkova at the age of 5. Over the next 9 years, Anton became a laureate and diploma winner of regional, regional, all-Russian and international competitions in addition to being awarded a scholarship from the Governor of the Orenburg Region.
In 2011, he entered the Special College of Music at the Zagir Ismagilov Academy of Arts (Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan) studying under the Honored Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Professor Flyura Bulatovna Sitdikova. After 4 years of study at the SSMK in Ufa, he became a laureate of 1 prize at an international competition and a diploma at an all-Russian competition, and also became a laureate of the “Young Talents of Russia” prize (2014).
Anton earned his bachelor's degree at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music studying viola under the Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Trushin and his assistant, Associate Professor Olga Igorevna Kozhurina. Anton has studied individually with such teachers and artists as: Luts Leskovits, Alexander Zemtsov, Alexander Trostyansky, Alexey Koshvanets, Tatiana Berkul, Oleg Svistunov, Yuri Afonkin, Svetlana Stepchenko, Alexander Vinogradov, Pavel Romanenko and others.
Anton has performed as an artist of the viola group of the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra at Moscow Philharmonic, touring in many cities of Russia (from Kaliningrad to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Sakhalin), as well as in countries such as: Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, Vietnam, Cyprus, China, Turkey and etc.
Farida Isayeva
Piano
Farida Isayeva graduated the Music College, Music Conservatory, and State University in Russia. She has a Doctorate Degree and speaks English, Russian, Turkish, and Azeri. She has been teaching piano and music theory for all ages and all levels since 1984. Ms. Isayeva was Principal of a music school in Russia, but moved to the US in 1998. Since then, she has continued to teach piano privately, and has taught at music academies and music conservatories.
Ms. Isayeva's style of teaching is creative and challenging. Her teaching methods are geared according to each student's needs. She builds a lesson plan to create success in each of her students, and her students consistently achieve high scores in assessments. She uses a combination of lesson books and individual plans for each student. Ms. Farida encourages preparing students for a variety of performance opportunities such as recitals, competitions, festivals. Many of her students have won awards.
Melissa Nering
Piano
Melissa Nering has taught piano in the East Bay for the past fourteen years. She graduated from California State University East Bay with a BA in Liberal Studies and a Minor in music. Melissa had a keen interest in piano from the time she was seven years old. When she finally had the opportunity to begin classical piano lessons, it was a dream come true. She believes one is never too old to learn and enjoys teaching children and adults.
Many of Melissa’s students have participated in studio recitals, community events, and Certificate of Merit testing. Melissa successfully auditioned to become a Cal Plan member with the Music Teachers Association of California (Alameda East Branch) and she is currently working towards Active membership. Melissa believes in a well-rounded piano education and incorporates music theory, technique, repertoire, sight reading, and ear training into lessons at the piano.
When she is not at the piano, Melissa can be found hiking, reading a good book, baking, or spending time with her friends and family.
Olha Ralduhina
Violin & Piano
Olha Ralduhina studied violin at Dnipropetrovsk State Music College named after M.I. Glinka under the instruction of V.M. Kolodniy. She continued her violin study with L.S. Brusova. Her teaching method is based on the Moscow Violin School. In addition, she is proficient in teaching the piano. She had completed her piano studies under the instruction of I.S. Karznikva.
Olha has been teaching these instruments and directing string ensembles for over 30 years. During the course of her career she has trained multiple number of students, many of whom became winners of national competitions. Many of her students had orchestra auditions and have went to successful professional careers. Olha is an active member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California.
The teaching style of Olha is very personal. She believes that professionalism and inspiration of the teacher play immense role in the success of the students. Her mission is to develop student’s desire to continue to learn these beautiful instruments.
Olga Chernisheva
Voice
A native of Russia, Olga Chernisheva studied at Moscow's Gnessin Music College from 1992 until 1996, and at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory from 1996 until 2002. Ms. Chernisheva appeared on the stages of the Bolshoi Opera, Kazan Opera Theater (Mimi in La Boheme), Stanislavsky Opera Theater (Micaela in Carmen), and Mälmo Opera Theater in Sweden (Musetta) before emigrating to the U.S.A., where she has appeared with West Bay Opera Illinois Opera Theater and Teatro Lirico d'Europa, with Tampa Opera, with Golden Gate Opera, with Pensacola Opera, Teatro Lirico d'Europa, with Hong Kong Opera and Boheme Opera as Liu in Turandot and with Cedar Rapids Opera Golden Gate Opera, Martinez Opera, Teatro Lirico d'Europa and Gold Coast Opera. She has appeared on the concert stages of Opera Santa Barbara in an evening of music by Giocomo Puccini, DiCapo Opera (Rachmaninoff's Francesca da Rimini), in Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Concert Hall for Bach'sMass in B-minor, at the Grand Hallof the Moscow State Conservatory for Mahler's Sympony No. 4 and for Orff's Carmina Burana, Moscow's Cathedral Catholic Church for Bach's Easter Oratorio, as a featured soloist for both the Notti Musicali Modenesi Festival and Costa Rica's XIII Festival de Musica Credomatic.
In 1996, Ms. Chernisheva won first prize in the Moscow's 'Bella Voce Vocal Competition' and, in 1999, won their grand prize. In 2000, she received a special award at the International Bulbul Vocal Competition in Baku, and an award at the Moscow art festival Festos. In 2006 she became a first prize and special award winner in Rose Palmai-Tenser Vocal Competition and prize vinner in Opera Index Competition, she participated in BASOTI, where she sung Fiordeligi in Cosi Fan Tutte. In 2002, she participated in San Francisco Opera Center Merola Opera Program for young singers and sang Musetta with Western Opera on tour. Olga Chernisheva studied at Moscow's Gnessin Music College from 1992 until 1996, and at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory from 1996 until 2002. In addition to her vocal studies, Olga has studied piano, dance, figure skating, and acting.
Yukiko Egawa
PIANO
Yukiko Egawa was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and has been a resident of the East Bay since 2000. She studied piano pedagogy at a local college, where she earned certificates in teaching Beginning and Intermediate Piano.
Since January, 2017, she’s been teaching piano at a local music school. The majority of students are beginners, from preschooler up to adult students.
She says that every lesson, she loves seeing the smiles on her students’ faces.
She believes that learning music should be fun and exciting, so she likes to provide well-rounded piano lessons with many hands-on activities: playing theory games, singing solfege (Do, Re, Mi…) with hand signals, and counting rhythm using the Kodaly method.
Zi Wang
PIANO
Zi Wang, began her piano studies at the age of five. Now completing her Doctorate at Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from Michigan State and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Xi’an Conservatory of Music.
Zi was the First Prize winner of the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and First Prize winner of the International Music Competition, London Grand Prize Virtuoso; resulting in her being invited to perform at both Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London. With a strong passion for chamber music, Zi has formed several chamber groups that focus on both classical and contemporary repertoire, including a piano, violin, and clarinet trio, a piano quartet, and currently the “Monocot Trio”.
Zi has been teaching piano for over a decade, providing both ensemble and private piano lessons. Her teachers include Zhihua Tang, Deborah Moriarty, Derek Polischuk and Xiaoya Shi.
Maya Charyyeva
PIANO/VIOLIN
Maya Charyyeva started learning piano and violin in Ashgabat at Specialised Music school at the age of 5. She participated in many masterclasses and festivals during the school term. She joined at national and international concerts with the violin ensemble under the instruction of Garold Neymark. During her high school education, she took part in the Ashgabat Youth Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Resul Klychev.
In 2016 she won the first place in the competition held among the graduates of music schools. Between 2016-2021, she played at concerts with the Camerata Saygun orchestra. At 2021 she graduated with a bachelor degree from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory. Here she took viola lessons, attended masterclasses under different teachers and developed her education. She performed in numerous concerts as a solo violinist.
Maya started her teaching career at Istanbul Metronome Music school while she was still a student. Currently, she continues her Master education at Mimar Sinan Fine arts university Istanbul State Conservatory.
Maya is an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California. She teaches violin, piano, viola and sight-reading and prepares her students for ABRSM and RCM tests and other programs.
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Nadia Chliaptseva
PIANO
From her youth, Nadia Chliaptseva has been recognized as a gifted musician who began at the age of 7 at a Music-School for gifted kids. Nadia graduated from Arkhangelsk State Music College in Russia with a music degree in piano, music theory/ composition, music history, vocal.
After graduation, she began teaching at Music School for gifted kids, where she provided lessons of piano, music theory/history, choir, accompaniment. While there, her students participated in piano competitions and who then progressed to a professional Music school.
Ms. Nadia became a lector-speaker, pianist, producer and editor for the music program at Arkhangelsk State Philharmonic. During this time, she performed on many stages throughout the world working with many different musicians. She moved to Moscow and continued to work at Moscow Music school for gifted kids.
In 2004, Ms. Nadia immigrated to the USA and continues to successfully teach at local music schools in the Bay area, as well as private and group lessons. She has extensive teaching experience for students of all ages and levels with many dedicated students that stay with her from youth to adult. Ms. Nadia is experienced in teaching the “Little Mozart” program for young children to assist with developing a sense of musical rhythm, ear training, and musical memory.
Ms. Nadia believes that musical education of children is an important part of the development of their personality and intelligence. She prepares students to perform in front of an audience, helps with audition processes, and continues to expand their musical education and intellect.