About the Artists

Marina Lomazov

Praised by critics as “a diva of the piano” (Salt Lake City Tribune), “a mesmerizing risk taker” (Cleveland Plain Dealer) and “simply spectacular” (International Music Foundation, Chicago), Ukrainian-American pianist Marina Lomazov has established herself as one of the most passionate and charismatic performers on the concert scene today. Following prizes in the Cleveland International Piano Competition, William Kapell International Piano Competition, Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Ms. Lomazov has given performances throughout North America, South America, England, France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Japan and in most of the fifty states in the U.S.

Most recently Lomazov became a Steinway Artist after a surprise ceremony in June of 2009 that unveiled a Steinway Grand Piano, an unprecedented and incredibly generous gift from the citizens of Columbia, South Carolina. Recognized by The New York Times for her virtuosity and wit, Lomazov's recent performances include recitals in New York City (Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall and Rockefeller University), Chicago (Dame Myra Hess Concert Series), Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and Boston (Symphony Hall). As orchestral soloist, Ms. Lomazov has performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic (NY), South Carolina Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony (SC), Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Graz Höchschulorchester (Austria), Bollington Festival Orchestra (England) and Chernigoff Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), to name a few.

Before immigrating to the United States, Marina studied at the Kiev Conservatory where she became the youngest First Prize Winner of the all-Kiev Piano Competition. Ms. Lomazov holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music, the latter granting upon her the highly coveted Artist’s Certificate – an honor the institution had not bestowed upon a pianist for nearly two decades. Her principal teachers include Natalya Antonova, Barry Snyder, and Jerome Lowenthal.

Together with her husband and duo partner Joseph Rackers, Lomazov also performs as part of the Lomazov/Rackers piano duo. In 2005, Lomazov/Rackers Piano Duo was awarded the Second Prize at the Sixth Biennial Ellis Competition for Duo Pianists, the only national duo piano competition in the United States at the time. Their performances have been described as "splendid" (Rochester, WXXI Radio), and "simply dazzling" (The State, SC).

Ms. Lomazov is a frequent guest artist at music festivals at the U.S. and abroad, including Burgos Music Festival (Spain), Moulin d’Andé Arts Festival (France), Summer Evenings in Kiev (Ukraine), Sulzbach-Rosenberg Music Festival (Germany), Hamamatsu International Piano Academy (Japan), Chautauqua Music Festival (NY), Northwest Piano Festival (OR), Wassermann Piano Festival (UT), Grand Teton Music Festival (WY) and Brevard Music Festival (NC). She has recorded for Albany Records, Arizona University Recordings, Centaur Records and Innova Recordings. In July of 2009, Centaur Records released her latest recording of solo piano works by Rodion Shchedrin. She has been featured on the "Bravo" cable channel, and her live performances are broadcast regularly on public radio stations including programs such as National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” and New York’s “Young Artist Showcase”, among numerous others.

Lomazov is Associate Professor of Piano at the University of South Carolina School of Music where she is also the founder and artistic director of the Southeastern Piano Festival.

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