# The Open Class's First Foreign Master: Maxim Mogilevsky

*Historical context: This invitation was published on April 27, 2021, for a Violy open class in China. The event details and registration instructions below describe that historical event.*

Emotional and romantic!

Although Russian piano artistry developed somewhat later, it grew rapidly. Combining local musical characteristics with advanced performance techniques absorbed from Western Europe and elsewhere, it established an important place in the history of piano education worldwide. It also developed a distinctive performance style and school, making a significant contribution to both piano history and piano teaching.

The original article describes the Russian piano school's influence on most of the world's renowned pianists, including Kissin, Rubinstein, Richter, Argentina's Martha Argerich, Vietnam's Dang Thai Son, and China's Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, and Haochen Zhang, among others.

Parents and teachers in Violy's piano groups often discuss the Russian school of piano playing.

For this edition of the Violy Open Class, we invited a Russian music master to give an online masterclass. This was the first time the Violy open class series had invited a foreign master to share his knowledge and teach our community.

He was Mr. Maxim Mogilevsky.

![](https://static.lianmuse.com/image/blog/83a3abda80a5ef73590f1695fc87f9b3.jpg)

The original introduction presented Maxim Mogilevsky as a renowned Russian musician and a Steinway Artist appreciated by audiences around the world.

The original introduction described him as holding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the renowned Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and as an advanced performing artist certified by the Juilliard School in the United States.

The Washington Post, as cited in his artist biography, praised his individual character and exceptional technique, noting that he brings his own distinctive interpretation to the music he plays. ([China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition biography](https://www.csipcc.com.cn/about-us/competition/jury/maxim-mogilevsky/))

He has regularly been invited to collaborate with leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, and the Russian National Orchestra. The original introduction also noted that his performances had received several classical music awards.

![The Washington Post's coverage of Professor Mogilevsky](https://static.lianmuse.com/image/blog/64641fd70c27da8e8af625181b41c788.png)

According to the original introduction, Maxim Mogilevsky had served on piano competition juries around the world, including the Kazakhstan International Piano Competition and the Moscow Conservatory International Piano Competition. At the time of the announcement, he was described as vice chairman of the Grotrian International Piano Competition.

The original introduction described him as having taught students around the world and held professorships at many leading music conservatories. It noted that his student Tianxu An was a widely discussed figure at the most recent Tchaikovsky Competition at the time.

![Professor Mogilevsky with his student Tianxu An](https://static.lianmuse.com/image/blog/20cbf6d18047754c4f2fe11fa8eeafd4.png)

In the years leading up to this announcement, Professor Mogilevsky had been active in China. The article introduced him as a distinguished professor of piano at the Communication University of Zhejiang, and noted his visits to music institutions across China, where he shared extensive knowledge of piano theory and performance with students.

The article also described Professor Mogilevsky as a loyal Violy user who used its video call feature to teach students around the world.

Thursday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. (China Standard Time)

We were delighted to invite Professor Mogilevsky as the speaker for the Violy Open Class, sharing insights from his many years of performing and teaching.

- Speaker: Maxim Mogilevsky
- Time: April 29, 2021, starting at 7:30 p.m. (China Standard Time)
- Format: Live video broadcast

Five students were scheduled to perform in turn, with the professor offering comments and guidance on each performance. A professional interpreter would also be present, so participants would not need to worry about the language barrier.

### How to Participate

The original invitation gave the following registration instructions:

1. Scan the QR code on the poster to visit Violy's WeChat Channels account.
2. Tap the reservation button to reserve a place in the class.
3. WeChat would automatically send a reminder when the class began.

![](https://static.lianmuse.com/image/blog/5ff3435689de387082affe0feafe8da9.png)