Issue date: 8/2/07 Section: NEWS

Media Credit: Courtesy Photo Anastasia Markina [Click to enlarge]

On June 25, NT graduate student Anastasia Markina won second place in the first Annual Josa Iturbi International Music Competition. The competition was held at the University of California at Los Angeles, and Markina walked away with $25,000 in cash. The competition awarded $268,000 in cash prizes, making it the largest cash bounty of any classical piano and singing competition in the world, according to competition organizers.
"I was ecstatic," Markina said. "When you win that amount, it's always a surprise. But by that time, I was probably more tired­; the whole week was stressful getting prepared and performing."
The weeklong competition required nearly six hours of practice a day.
The 29-year-old counted in her head in Russian and figured she has won a total of $50,000 in competition prizes but said this is the biggest one yet. Markina said the piano was not always what she wanted to play.
"I wanted to play the violin at age three, but we already had a piano at home," Markina said.
Though she begged for a violin, Markina's mother encouraged the young girl to pursue piano lessons. In Russia, Markina said she was accepted into music school two years early.
It's Markina's talent at the piano that enabled her to beat out 19 representatives from 15 other countries for the second-place win, and she said although she gets tired mentally and physically, she aims for excellence.
"It's hard to think that there's always someone better, but there are no limits to playing the piano; you can always get better." Markina said.
Markina's classmate and friend Natasha Sukhina of Ukraine has performed with Markina in events in Texas.
"She's very passionate," said Sukhina. "Anastasia has lots of energy that propels her to work in concerts and competition."
Markina said she loves playing for people.
"The piano is a tool," Markina said. "It's about making the most, creating the sounds and making the magic happen."
She said she doesn't have plans yet for the $25,000 she has won but wants to use it wisely.
"I am thinking about investing it or paying off some debt," Markina said. "I need to do more research about investing it."
She attributes her win and the several other wins in her career to her instructors and Vladimir Viardo, NT professor of music and artist in residence, who has helped her become the pianist she is today.
"I owe everything to him, to all my teachers," Markina said. "In eight years I owe a big part of who I am to him. He brings me inside the world he's created and has taught me how to hear music and understand it."
After NT, Markina said she plans to continue competing and teaching.

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