About Anastasia Rizikov … When Anastasia Rizikov performed two back-to-back recitals for Classical Pianists of the Future in November 2008, we were requested to bring her back as soon as possible. She appears again, by popular demand, with today’s recital, a program further enhanced with the appearance of Maestro John Covelli who was, himself, a child prodigy. We could not be happier! Scarborough, Ontario, Canada-born Anastasia Rizikov is just ten years old as she performs for Classical Pianists of the Future. She has already won over twenty piano competitions including the Vladimir Horowitz International Young Pianists Competition in Kiev (Ukraine) in 2006 after which she performed with the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra at their gala concert. In 2007, she won the Kiwanis Provincial Music Festival. In May of this year, she represented Canada at the International Festival “Moscow Meets Friends” as organized by conductor-violinist Vladimir Spivakov’s International Charity Foundation. Indeed, Anastasia Rizikov has come a long way from her first public performance at the age of five as a recitalist at St. Anne’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Scarborough. When Rizikov was four, she was at a grade five level, and today, she’s at a grade ten. Her mother, Liana Rizikov, relates that Anastasia wanted to study and she wanted to move fast. Anastasia practices between three and four hours or more a day and studies almost daily with her piano teacher, Maia Spis, who teaches at the Nadia Music School in Toronto. Outside of the realm of music, Anastasia is just like any other normal young girl. When queried about her favorite book, she says Farley Mowat’s Owls in the Family is kind of interesting, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a really interesting book.” When talking about movies, among her favorites is The Pianist, a film about Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman and his trials and tribulations during the Holocaust, “a very sad movie,” says Anastasia, “but I still like it especially because of the pianist.” About her school work, she knows that she misses some classes because of her piano commitments, but she relates: “I have good marks … no Cs … just As and Bs.” Asked about her favorite piano composition, Anastasia instantly replies, “I finally started [Chopin’s] Fantaisie-Impromptu, which is one of my favorites, and I also really like Gershwin’s Three Preludes.” Anastasia’s favorite pianist? She aims high … Artur Rubinstein, one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century and a wonderful model for the young artist. Anastasia verifies that the music for all her concerts has to be completely memorized! When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, the answer is simple and heartfelt: “Yes, I want to be a very, very famous pianist,” she happily says!” There is no doubt that Anastasia Rizikov will reach her goals. Al Williams and I are positively delighted to present this fine young pianist in our series of recitals Personal Site: www.anastasiarizkov.ca
