A Conversation with Classical Piano Master and Nature Lover Katya Grineva

For internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso Katya Grineva, the Hudson Valley has been the perfect place to marry her two greatest passions – flawlessly performing the classics of eminent Romantic composers like Chopin and Liszt and her love of nature.

Russian-born Katya arrived in the United States in her teens after rigorous study under the auspices of the Moscow Conservatory. A scholarship to the esteemed Mannes School of Music in New York City was the first step in a career that has taken her to all corners of the globe. For the past two decades, Katya has returned annually to perform solo concerts at Carnegie Hall, indeed more than any solo female pianist in the history of the legendary venue. Called “liquid, dreamlike” by The New York Times, Grineva is a rare artist who truly captures the heart with a combination of vulnerability, poignance, and effortless virtuosity. In addition to a steady diet of globe-hopping touring, she has recorded nine well-reviewed albums, including The Complete Chopin Nocturnes and Classical Holiday.

A chance meeting at a concert in Rhinebeck led Katya to purchase her “little house in the forest” in bucolic Shady seven years ago. In 2022, she added a window-filled studio amongst the trees and passing animals to house her century-old Steinway B, one with double doors that open onto a large deck and surrounding green landscape. Soon after, she began playing weekly weekend concerts in what has been dubbed her “Enchanted Piano Temple.” They present a rare opportunity to see a world-class musician in an intimate setting with 20 – 40 attendees. She even invites her concert-goers to immerse themselves in a sound bath by taking turns lying under her Steinway as she performs.

What are Katya’s favorite things about her globetrotting career and life in the Hudson Valley? Find the answers below…

When and why did you choose to lay down roots here in the Hudson Valley?

I moved here seven years ago. For many years, I would come and play concerts at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck. It was wonderful being up here, surrounded by nature. Through these concerts, I became friends with a wonderful yogini, Sharon Gannon, the co-founder of the famous Jivamukti Method. I visited her here and three months later bought a house five minutes away from hers in Shady.

When did you become interested in music? What was your formal education in Russia and later in the U.S.?

My mom said that when I was an infant when she would have to leave me and go to the store, she would put on a recording of “Moonlight Sonata.” I would immediately stop crying (laughs)! It became ingrained in my brain. My grandparents and parents also loved music and took me to concerts when I was very young. At 5 ½, a friend’s parents took me along when they went to music school. I became enthralled. At first, I practiced at their home, but then my parents bought a piano they would sell if I stopped playing it! I then studied at a famous high school under the auspices of the Moscow Conservatory. I came to America for a one-month vacation and just decided to stay. I was offered many scholarships but chose to accept one provided by the Mannes School of Music, as it was in New York City, where every musician wants to be.

Critics have praised your work for its sensitivity and “romantic and poetic approach.” Who are some of the composers and works that inspire you most?

There are so many, but my favorites are Chopin and Liszt from the Romantic period. Also, Schubert, Ravel and Debussy. I’m now working to bring the works of overlooked women composers from that era to life. One example is Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn. Her works were never published while she was alive; some were even under her brother’s name. I played one of her pieces at Carnegie Hall this past December, “Song for Piano, Opus 9.” It is incredibly beautiful and romantic, the kind of piece I am drawn to.

Katya Grineva plays Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu from James Carman on Vimeo.

You have said that one of your goals in coming to America in 1989 was to perform at Carnegie Hall, which is something you have done annually over the past two decades. What is so special about Carnegie Hall and the audiences attending your concerts?

Growing up in Russia, you always hear about Carnegie Hall – it’s ingrained in your being that it is the best place in the world to perform. My first concert there was hearing the incredible cellist Mstislav Rostropovich as a teenager in the back row of the upper balcony. The amazing thing is the acoustic. The sound is so perfect and clear. It’s like a drink of cool, pure water. Even with 3,000 seats, it feels very intimate. Every time I play there, I feel the same, so excited and nervous. But I feel a real connection to the audience. They’re educated New Yorkers and European tourists – an audience attuned to and really connected to the kind of music I love to play.

You have toured all over the world. Tell us about some of your favorite touring experiences and your special love of playing in Africa.

I’ve played all over the world. I did a huge tour of Asia ten years ago, which brought me to Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and many other places. But Africa may be my favorite. I played there for many years and did many benefit performances for children in places like Nairobi. We try to raise money to provide them with instruments because music is one of the few ways out of poverty. I also love animals and have stayed at places with giraffes outside my window, where I get to go on safaris between shows. It’s one reason why I love the Woodstock area. I have bears, wild turkeys, deer and such right outside my studio window. Nature is really my element.

The Steinway B you have in your studio has quite the lineage. Can you tell us a little about its history? And why do you invite attendees to climb beneath it for a sound bath?

My piano is about 115 years old and formerly belonged to my friend and producer, Byron Duckwall. I recorded my first few albums on it with him up in Boston. Ten years ago, he invited me to play a concert in Minneapolis and decided to give me the piano! I had it in my walk-up apartment in New York City. As for the sound baths, that came about by accident. I was giving a private concert in Kauai when two ladies asked if they could listen while lying under the piano. They said it was the best way to hear it, that you felt like you became a part of the piano. Now, I would never dare do this at Carnegie Hall, but here, in my studio, it’s part of every performance.

With your “Enchanted Piano Temple,” you have created a really unique experience where the public can enjoy music in your small studio in the forest and out of doors in the summer. What made you build this space, and what have been your experiences with the concert series? How can people learn more about it?

I built the studio for my piano so I could practice and play intimate concerts in nature, surrounded by the forest that wraps around my home. I built it with many windows and an oversized double door so I could open it and play with people outside. Many of my favorite composers are inspired by nature, like Liszt’s “St. Francis Talking to the Birds” and “Sounds of the Forest,” which I often perform at my weekend salon. I started having my weekly concert right as the Covid pandemic began in Spring 2022. I do them every Sunday afternoon and every Saturday in the summer, as some people like to take in the Maverick concerts on summer Sundays and mine on Saturdays. I can fit 25 people comfortably inside and up to 40-50 when we open the doors in the warm weather.

You say that many of your most memorable events are performing for children. Tell us about the not-for-profit you create to bring classical music to youngsters.

I’m calling it Katya’s Concerts for Kids. It’s something I’ve always done as I’ve toured. I got into school here in places like the Bronx and played, talked about music and answered questions about the music and living the life of a musician. I also give the kids and their families tickets to attend concerts at Carnegie. I want them to experience what I did when I was young. These are the most magical and exciting memories, like the ones I enjoyed concert-going with my grandparents and parents.

What three albums have most inspired you and why? Also, who are some contemporary musicians, globally and locally, who you think music lovers should check out?

One of my favorites is Vladimir Horowitz’s Live Concert in Moscow, as I was there and witnessed it as a teenager. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and it inspired me to become a professional and practice ten hours a day. I also love Claudio Abbado’s Mahler Symphony No. 9. I always listen to it before I play Carnegie because it calms me down; it’s so deep and transcendent. One I used to listen to every day was Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. As for local musicians, I am a huge fan of flutist Steve Gorn.

What are your feelings about the state of classical music in America? Do you feel it gets the support and exposure that it deserves?

Absolutely not. It doesn’t get the support it needs. This is one of the reasons why I created my kids’ concerts. It’s worse than ever, there’s no music education. I grew up in the opposite of America – we didn’t have food, but we had plenty of music and art.

If you could have a salon around your piano with three other players or composers (alive or dead), who would you choose?

Chopin, Liszt and Horowitz are my two favorite composers and pianists.

Here’s the guilty pleasure question… What music, aside from classical, would we be surprised to know that you listen to and love?

What I love most is not listening to anything but listening to nature, the sounds of the forest.

What are you working on now that you’re most excited about? And is there anything left that you feel you really haven’t done as a musician?

I’m always spending time learning new pieces, lots of Liszt like “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” and “Sonata in B Minor.” As I mentioned, I am working on all these pieces for forgotten women composers from the romantic era, like Florence Price’s “Fantasy Negra,” for my next whole program at Carnegie Hall.

What about the Hudson Valley makes it unique to live + work here?

For me, it’s being surrounded by nature and playing the piano any time of day or night!

What impact do you, as an artist, have on your community?

Through my concerts, I intend to bring people happiness and joy.

What is missing in the area that you wish we had?

I love to ride my bike, so I would say bike lanes.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful in your career and just in enjoying life?

I’m vegan and love The Garden Café and shopping at Sunflower Market.

Tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to know.

I’m seriously allergic to mustard and pears.

What is your favorite non-musical activity?

Yoga and bike riding.

Who or what inspires you personally?

My yogini friend Sharon Gannon for her spirituality.

What would be your dream gig?

I’m living my dream because I play Carnegie Hall every year and perform every weekend in my studio. And if someone invited me to play with the New York Philharmonic, that would be a nice addition.

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Photos by Nils Schlebusch @nils360_   

Inside+Out Upstate NY Contributor; Sal Cataldi is a music, writer and former publicist living in Saugerties, NY.