Yana Petrova was born in Yekaterinburg. She began her musical education at the Ural Special Music School, initially studying piano under the tutelage of teacher Tatyana Tsypushkina. Since 2019, she has been in the class of teacher Maria Pozdnyakova, focusing on the harp. In 2022, she became a student at the Special Music School of the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, where she studies under the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor Irina Tishchenko. In 2021, Yana became the laureate of the Third Prize at the Second International Competition “Tutte Le Corde” in Yekaterinburg. In 2023, she was awarded the Second Prize at the Fourteenth International Competition named after S.I. Savshinsky in Saint Petersburg and the Third Prize at the Fifth All-Russian Competition of Young Musicians “Constellation” held in Sochi at the Sirius Educational Center. In 2024, she won the Grand Prix at the Third Saint Petersburg International Competition named after I.F. Stravinsky and secured the First Prize at the Fifteenth International Competition named after S.I. Savshinsky in Saint Petersburg. She has performed as a soloist in prestigious venues such as the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky, the chamber halls of the Mariinsky Theatre, the chamber hall of the Saint Petersburg State Academic Capella, the Sheremetev Palace, the concert hall of the Park of Science and Art “Sirius,” and the concert hall of the Sverdlovsk State Academic Philharmonic.

Yana Petrova: At the age of five, I was enrolled in music school in the piano class, as my mother had previously taught piano. I was very fortunate with my first music teacher, though as a child, I couldn’t fully appreciate her efforts. Tatyana Vladislavovna Tsypushkina taught me to listen to and, more importantly, to truly hear music. She instilled in me from a young age the habit of daily work and the notion of truly serving music! “To feel deeply and think broadly”—thanks to Tatyana Vladislavovna, this became my guiding motto.

Saint Petersburg Music House (SPMH): Your first instrument was the piano. How did you become interested in the harp?

Yana Petrova: I wasn’t the kind of child who would happily spend time at the piano. For a while, I was passionate about painting and even held an exhibition of my works at the Yekaterinburg Ten-Year School. I wanted to attend art school, but acquaintances advised me against leaving music. My mother suggested trying a different instrument, and completely by chance, without thinking about it beforehand, she suggested I try the harp. I decided to give it a go. They say coincidences are not accidental—three years later, in “Sirius,” I met my teacher, Irina Anatolyevna Tishchenko. Not everyone is fortunate enough to meet their Teacher in life. I have been lucky twice.

My main mentor is Irina Anatolyevna. It’s impossible to measure how much she has invested in her students. She is a great harpist, whose performances are a benchmark for me, and a teacher not only of music but of Life. Irina Anatolyevna always says: “First, I strive to raise a good person. Then a good musician. Then a good harpist.” I sincerely hope to become a student worthy of my Teacher.

SPMH: You made rapid progress and quickly started participating in competitions. In your opinion, what contributed to this swift advancement in your studies?

Yana Petrova: The foundation in piano and the knowledge and wisdom instilled by my first teacher have always stayed with me. Perhaps, often unconsciously, I transferred my piano skills to the harp. For a while, I had the urge to ‘catch up’ with my peers who had been playing the harp since first grade. After meeting Irina Anatolyevna Tishchenko, a deep love for this magical instrument awakened in me.

Some people are inspired by the competitive aspect of things, with competitions providing the motivation for productive practice. Now, this approach seems a bit too technical to me. Other musicians choose the path of continuous exploration of the depths of music and themselves within it, for the sake of Music itself. For me, it’s a journey of constant contrasts: from euphoria to apathy, from highs to lows… It’s often a very difficult path, but an extremely important one. Right now, I’m seeking a balance between these two perspectives on life in music. I am particularly fond of the phrase: “Flowing water doesn’t compete for first place.” The main thing is to serve Music.

SPMH: The solo harp repertoire is not very extensive. Traditionally, many compositions have been written by harpists themselves. Do you plan to tackle this challenge as well?

Yana Petrova: In the past, harpists mainly composed fantasies on themes from operas or pieces to develop technique. The idea of writing études for the harp has crossed my mind, and I hope to return to it one day. History moves forward, as do harmony, music theory, and styles… I tend to believe that for music to truly be Music, it should be composed by professional composers nowadays. Belinsky once said, “The ability to create is a great gift.” Perhaps I have yet to discover this gift within myself.

SPMH: You recently performed at the Mariinsky Theatre with a program that included works by Bach, Liszt, and Prokofiev in arrangements for harp. How do you feel about transcriptions of well-known compositions?

Yana Petrova: The most important thing is that the transcription stays true to the style of the original, as close to it as possible. One should play pieces whose meaning can be conveyed by the harp. The transcriptions I performed at the concert of the Saint Petersburg Music House are exemplary. The paraphrase on a theme from Verdi’s opera Rigoletto is, in my opinion, the best transcription of an operatic piece for harp. Vera Georgievna Dulova’s arrangement of Prokofiev’s Morning Serenade is considered genius worldwide.

SPMH: This year, you participated in the “River of Talents” project for the first time. What are your impressions of the master classes?

Yana Petrova: The “River of Talents” project is unique in its atmosphere of artistry, which surrounds you completely—every participant lives and breathes music. The daily lessons give so much: they push you to uncover and expand your abilities. Each session with the masters is filled with numerous musical discoveries that you must absorb. Afterward, during your individual practice sessions, it’s crucial to internalize as much as possible so that the next day, you can come back to the teacher for even more invaluable advice.

The idea of holding extended master classes belongs to the great maestro, the artistic director of the Saint Petersburg Music House, Sergei Pavlovich Roldugin, and all young musicians are very grateful to him for that. No other organization in the world, apart from the Saint Petersburg Music House, conducts such long, and therefore immensely beneficial, series of lessons annually. Often, across the world, harpists are offered one-day master classes, which do not have the same profound impact as the ‘River of Talents’ master classes.

During the Music House master classes, I worked on Glière’s Concerto and the Paraphrase on a Theme from Verdi’s Opera Rigoletto, and with each day, I felt increasingly confident with these pieces. The ‘River of Talents’ also offers the opportunity to perform with an orchestra—this is an invaluable experience, a chance to showcase your skills and grow stronger. I believe all of us young musicians are incredibly lucky to be given such opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Sergei Pavlovich Roldugin’s project is truly unparalleled.

SPMH: You have an upcoming performance on October 30th at the Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic as part of the “River of Talents” project—Glière’s Concerto. What moves you the most about this piece?

Yana Petrova: Glière’s Concerto is quintessentially Russian music. It’s a Concerto of Victory. It embodies the complexity, grandeur, history, and vastness of the Motherland. Russia is both shining and palatial in the first movement, and peasant-like and lively in the third… For me, the second movement represents Russia as a mother—simple, native, and deeply touching for the soul. It’s commonly believed that the harp is a plucked instrument, not suited to legato playing. However, all of Glière’s music is highly vocal. To perform this Concerto legato, with a vocal quality, is a great triumph for a harpist.

SPMH: In your opinion, which era or style best suits your instrument?

Yana Petrova: The harp is a very versatile instrument—it fits all musical styles. There is a wealth of early music for the harp: Sonatas by Peşetti, Cardon, Krumpholtz, Naderman, as well as Concertos by Mozart, Handel, and works by Bach and Croft. The romantics wrote for the harp too—Glinka adored it. His works are gems of the harp repertoire: Variations on a Theme by Mozart, nocturnes, romances. Composers from later periods also fell in love with our instrument. An enormous number of sonatas have been written for the harp, such as those by Hindemith, Tailleferre, Krenek… Britten has a suite for the harp. Many St. Petersburg composers wrote both small pieces and large forms for the harp: Tishchenko, Slonimsky, Banshchikov, Smorgonskaya… The harp has fascinated composers of all times and cultures.

SPMH: What happens backstage before a performance, and how do you prepare to go on stage?

Yana Petrova: On the day of a performance, I try to distance myself as much as possible from everything around me. To be fully immersed in the music. Before going on stage, I imagine that the hall is my home, my regular practice space. This harp is mine. The piano next to it is mine too. The stage is my room.

Interview by Tatyana Mikhailova