Distinguished Faculty, Piano

Temirzhan Yerzhanov

Temirzhan Yerzhanov CSMA Music Teacher

Education and Background

Pianist and conductor Temirzhan Yerzhanov launched his performing career by winning the First Prize and Gold Medal at the XIth International Robert Schumann Piano Competition 1993 in Zwickau, Germany, one of the most respected in the world.

As a performer, Temirzhan Yerzhanov has toured in Germany, Russia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, USA, United Kingdom, China, Brazil and India. He has soloed with many orchestras including Moscow Radio Tchaikovsky Symphony, Zwickau Philharmonishes, Sacramento Philharmonic, San Luis Obispo Symphony, Vogtland Philharmonie, The Symphony Orchestra of India, working with such conductors as Vladimir Fedoseev, Lothar Seyfart, Johannes Wildner, Michael Morgan, Jiří Malát.

He has appeared in prestigious venues such as New York Carnegie Hall Auditorium Stern and Merkin Hall, London Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Moscow
Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Dresden Sempergalerie, Paris Salle Gaveau, Moscow and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Halls. Temirzhan Yerzhanov has been featured on live broadcasts, in studio recordings and talk shows of Deutsche Radio Berlin, Hong Kong Radio, Radio Russia, Capital Radio Sacramento, Orpheus Radio. He garnered much praise for his CDs of Schumann (RCD label) and Prokofiev works including World premiere of Classical Symphony (Con Brio Recordings).

A diverse musician, Mr. Yerzhanov has collaborated with many instrumentalists and opera singers of international acclaim such as Michael Collins (clarinet), Vasko Vassilev (violin), Elena Kelessidi (soprano) and Melody Moore (soprano).

As a conductor, he performed with Kazakh Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus, Opera Academy of California, Google Orchestra, Kazakh National Abai Opera, Orquestra Capital Philharmonia de Brasilia, Astana Opera, and he was Artistic Director of Orchestra Gradus ad Parnassum and Music Director of Opera Cultura.

Temirzhan Yerzhanov studied at the famous Central Music School in Moscow and earned MA in Piano Performance under Professor Mikhail Voskressensky from the legendary Moscow
Tchaikovsky Conservatory where subsequently he was a Piano Faculty for four years. Some of Mr. Yerzhanov’s students have won top prizes at prestigious international piano competitions such as The Queen Elisabeth in Brussels, The Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Viana da Motta in Macau, AXA in Dublin, Alessandro Casagrande in Terni.

Since his relocation to the San Francisco Bay Area, Temirzhan Yerzhanov has successfully combined his performing career with teaching solo piano, piano accompaniment, chamber
ensemble and opera coaching. His students appeared in many local festivals and have won gold medals at the US Open Music Competition and The American Protégé International Piano Competition. Mr. Yerzhanov has successfully prepared many students for the ABRSM (up to Diploma level) and RCM exams in piano. He has presented master classes internationally including West Washington University, Yantai University (China), Universidade de Brasilia, schools, colleges and conservatories in Germany, Russia and Hong Kong.

Teaching Philosophy

As an active musician himself, Mr. Yerzhanov treats every student as a gifted artist whether he or she is a child beginner or adult advanced player. That means an artistic idea is put first, and thorough realization of that idea through the application of technique comes next. So, the repertoire is chosen carefully to satisfy both artistic development and the student’s individual technical growth.

Mr. Yerzhanov encourages students to stir their imagination, read beyond notes, and, through learning music, discover unknown and wonderful worlds.

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