Svetlana Smolina

Produced by Latin GRAMMY®-winning producer, songwriter, and composer Alex Sino together with composer and conductor Terry Heimat, Funky Sonatas, featuring concert pianist Svetlana Smolina as the album’s featured classical soloist, has advanced to the Second Round of voting for the Latin GRAMMY® Awards. The album is currently under consideration in the categories of Best Classical Album and Best Instrumental Album.

Reimagining works by Astor Piazzolla, Ennio Morricone, Gato Barbieri, Lalo Schifrin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, Funky Sonatas blends the elegance of classical music with the energy of jazz, Latin rhythms, and contemporary production, creating a fresh crossover experience while honoring the distinctive musical voice of each composer.

Alex Sino—whose acclaimed career includes collaborations with Diego Torres, Jon Secada, Luis Enrique, Amaury Gutiérrez, as well as jazz legends Ed Calle, Al Di Meola, Anthony Jackson, and Milton Salcedo -joined Terry Heimat in shaping the album’s artistic vision. Together, they created the artistic direction, additional music, and lyrics that define the project’s unique sound.

The album opens with Rachmaninoff en Ritmo, an electrifying Duel of Two Pianos featuring Svetlana Smolina and Milton Salcedo. Inspired by the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, the work creates a vibrant dialogue between classical virtuosity and Latin-jazz expression, offering a bold and imaginative new perspective on one of the great composers of the classical repertoire.

The recording also features an exceptional international cast of artists, including Ed Calle, Francis Goya, David Pastor, Alex Alexander, Mario Rodríguez, Kostia Lucky, Denis Dmitriev, Liza Kenia, and many others.

Advancing to the Second Round of Latin GRAMMY® Awards consideration marks an exciting milestone for the project, and the creative team is honored to share this recognition with audiences around the world.

Link to the album : https://terryheimat.com/funkysonatas

Link to the album preview:

Following her recital at the historic Teatro del Libertador San Martín in Córdoba, Argentina, Svetlana Smolina received an outstanding review from CBA24N for her opening performance of the ProArte Córdoba Foundation Concert Series.

The review praised Smolina’s exceptional artistry, describing her as “an ideal interpreter” of Franz Liszt and commending her remarkable balance of energy and elegance in Chopin, her expressive affinity with Alberto Ginastera, and her ability to combine classical refinement with the natural swing of George Gershwin. The publication also highlighted her dazzling virtuosity in works by Ernesto Lecuona, Moritz Moszkowski, and Mily Balakirev, noting that her performance concluded with a prolonged standing ovation.

Read the full review here.

Following a triumphant 11-recital tour across South America, internationally acclaimed concert pianist Svetlana Smolina has been featured on the cover of Argentina’s leading classical music magazine, Música Clásica.

In this issue, Smolina appears alongside some of today’s most distinguished figures in classical music, including Yuja Wang, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Gustavo Dudamel, reflecting her growing international profile and artistic recognition.

The magazine also features an exclusive interview in which Smolina reflects on her South American tour, artistic journey, current recording projects, and upcoming international engagements.

Read the full interview here.

Smolina’s performances throughout Argentina and Chile were met with an enthusiastic response from audiences and critics alike, earning numerous outstanding post-concert reviews. Two selected reviews are included below.

Svetlana Smolina deslumbró en la apertura del ciclo de la Fundación ProArte Córdoba (Svetlana Smolina dazzled at the opening of the ProArte Córdoba Foundation’s concert series)

La pianista rusa Svetlana Smolina se presentó en Córdoba con un programa que recorrió el virtuosismo romántico y los cruces entre tradición y estilo personal. (Russian pianist Svetlana Smolina performed in Córdoba with a program that spanned Romantic virtuosity and the interplay between tradition and personal style.)

Her tour also received prominent national media coverage in Buenos Aires, where she was featured on Argentina’s National Radio across both its FM and AM stations, appearing in interviews and live on-air performances.

Smolina has been invited to return to South America a soloist with a few national orchestras. Her return begins on September 4, 2026 in Quito, Ecuador, where she will perform with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador (OSNE), followed by an extended South American tour in Spring 2027.

The Música Clásica cover, critical acclaim, national radio appearances, and forthcoming orchestral engagements mark another significant chapter in Smolina’s international career and growing presence across the South American classical music scene.

Concert pianist Svetlana Smolina was delighted to join Yulia Geniush for a special one-hour interview on Radio USA 105.1 FM in New York. The conversation explored her international concert career, recent recording projects, artistic journey, and upcoming performances.

Many thanks to Yulia Geniush and the Radio USA team for the warm invitation and a wonderful conversation.

Watch the full interview here.

Svetlana’s most recent CD release of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra & Maestro Derek Gleeson, produced by Luca Rustici for L’n’R Productions/Universal Music is available now on all digital platforms : https://svetlanasmolina.lnk.to/pianoconcerto

Reviews

Stunningly talented, Svetlana Smolina is a highly sought-after world-renowned classical pianist who has performed, recorded and collaborated with many famous musicians in numerous major world music centers.

Described by LA Times as “an outstanding pianist with luxuriant tone,” and by New York Times as mesmerizing and dynamic, Svetlana has won several prestigious international competitions and is among “The Best Pianists of the 21st Century”.”

Simply flawless” (Toronto Performing Arts Examiner), “a true miracle “(Zapolyarnaya Pravda), the one who gets  the most extended standing ovations ever during the season concerts  (The Day), ” first class virtuosity ” (Steinway Hall NYC, Classical &Cultural),”producing dazzling effects, bringing audience close to frenzy, just as Chopin did in his concerts” (Herald Tribune),” has an excellent control of  dynamics and timbre with consolidated artistic maturity” ( L’Union Sarda ), ” impeccable technique and clarity of vision” (The Listener Magazine  NYC), “brilliantly displayed and the highlight of the marathon included Corelli Variations with Smolina as the superb soloist” (International Herald Tribune) – these are just a few quotes that Svetlana receives in her concert reviews.

Svetlana Smolina has performed with orchestras and given recitals worldwide – with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Salzburg Festival at Mozarteum, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Ravinia Rising Stars in Chicago, White Nights in Saint Petersburg, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Mikkeli Festival Finland, Ruhr Klavier in Germany, Moscow Easter Festival, Rotterdam Philharmonic, at the Stresa Festival, Hanoi Opera House, London’s Royal Opera Covent Garden, Tchaikovsky Conservatoire Moscow and Rome’s Accademia Santa Cecilia.

Her discography includes a solo Album, Romantic Journey, and she is currently recording a second album (featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3) with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, scheduled to release in May 2025. Both produced and recorded by Luca Rustici for L’n’R Productions/Universal Music. Other notable recordings include a Chopin album for iTunes, a Scriabin project on Pentatone, and a live concert performance with Christopher O’Riley in Montana, live recording at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles for BCM+D records. Her performances have been broadcast on NPR, WQXR, BBC, PBS, RAI, Kultura TV, and other major networks. Her recording of Stravinsky’s Les Noces with Valery Gergiev received an International Classical Music Award (ICMA).

Svetlana’s recent performances include a tour to China with Dublin Philharmonic with Derek Gleeson, concerts with Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Juvenil in Lima, Peru, at Carnegie Hall in NYC, with violinist Lee-Chin Siow in Singapore, at the Basel Casino with Charlie Siem, CCK Symphony Hall/Buenos Aires in the “Best Pianists of the 21st Century series”, at the Classical Tahoe Festival with Maestro Joel Revzen, at the festival in Ushuaia / Argentina, and at Cremona International Summer Festival.

Svetlana collaborated in chamber concerts with Ida Haendel, Vadim Repin, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Kian Soltani, Geyhee Kim, Alexander Knyazev, Enrico Dindo, Lee-Chin Siow, Pavel Sporcl, Charlie Siem, Roberto Cani, Oleg Sendetsky, Kim Fisher, Julian Milkis, Dr. Subramaniam and many others. Svetlana and Vadim Repin have given duo recitals in Bogota at Teatro Colon for the Cartagena Festival, at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, in Bangalore and Mumbai for XXV Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, at Koerner Hall in Toronto and at Salle Garnier de Monte Carlo for Prince Albert ́s Monaco Foundation, as well as for Trans-Siberian Art Festival in Novosibirsk, Washington DC, London and New York.

Most recent invitations included New Year Eve Gala with Shanghai Philharmonic and with Harbin Symphony & Maestro Muhai in China, recital at Recital at Taihu Art Festival/ 22nd China Shanghai Int Arts Festival at Wuxi Grand Theater; duo concerts with Vadim Repin at NCPA Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall Belt & Road International Music Festival, debut solo recitals at Dellarte Concert Series in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janiero, Brazil; concert in Osaka, Japan with Kazuhiro Takagi, recital in Megaron Concert Hall Thessaloniki with Jannis Georgiadis, at Megaron Chamber Hall in Athens for the Piano Plus Festival, at Burgos International Music Festival, Spain and at the Triumph Music Festival/ Kimmel Center Music Academy in Philadelphia.

Svetlana is a frequently invited Artist for iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates after making her solo debut with iPalpiti Orchestra / Maestro Eduard Schmieder at Walt Disney Concert Hall where they recorded live BrittenYoung Apollo to a high critical acclaim. In June 2024 Svetlana began collaboration with Blüthner in France and Germany.

Svetlana Smolina is a Grand Prix winner of Italy’s Citta Di Senigallia International Piano Concorso, Murray Dranoff 2 piano and many other competitions. Since 2011 she has directed the piano program at the Philadelphia International Music Festival and also and on the piano faculty at Irvine Valley College and London Performing Academy of Music.

2026

CBA24N, Córdoba, Argentina

“Franz Liszt found an ideal interpreter in Svetlana Smolina.”

“Absolute mastery of phrasing and dynamics…”

 “An evening of high artistic achievement… reaffirming the power of the great piano repertoire to move and dazzle when entrusted to an interpreter of such caliber.”

“A memorable performance… a top-tier program.”

“A restrained yet magnetic personality… a broad and nuanced sound, capable of moving from the most intimate delicacy to dazzling virtuosity.”

“Remarkable balance of energy and elegance.”

“One of the most celebrated moments of the evening.” (on Smolina’s interpretation of Ginastera’s Danzas Argentinas)

“A surprising affinity with the rhythmic and expressive language of the Argentine composer.”

“Classical elegance with a natural swing.” (on Gershwin)

“The display of virtuosity elicited spontaneous applause.”

“As spectacular as it was challenging.” (on Balakirev’s Islamey)

“An electrifying and precise performance.”

“The audience rose to its feet for a prolonged and enthusiastic standing ovation.”

“Smolina is a genius as an interpreter.”

“Her interpretation transforms these great Romantic masterpieces into something strikingly alive and contemporary.”

“Smolina brought to Córdoba the joy of Romanticism.”

“Smolina is an excellent pianist… it is hard to believe how much music she carries within her.”

“She traverses some of the most intricate passages in the piano literature with calm in speed and expressive strength in moments of stillness.”

“Smolina is graceful, engaging… a pianist of remarkable artistry.”

“No one left their seat while Smolina was playing—but everyone listened as though the music invited them to dance.”

“The program itself speaks volumes—a musical journey through Romanticism, national traditions, and popular imagination.”

“From Russia to the Americas and back again—a compelling artistic voyage.”

“The recital united Romantic virtuosity with a vibrant popular sensibility.”

Follow this link to read more reviews of Svetlana through the years!

FOR BOOKINGS IN U.S.A

Svetlana Smolina
ssmolina08@gmail.com

FOR BOOKINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Arte Producciones
Damián Rovner
https://www.arteproducciones.org/
damianrovner@gmail.com
damian@arte-producciones.com
Mobile (54 911) 6857-7403
Bulnes 44, 2º R – (C1176AAB)
Buenos Aires, Argentina

FOR BOOKINGS IN FRANCE & GERMANY

Dr. Daniel Renaud
+33 607 377 273
drenaud@bluethner.de