Svetlana Andreeva is a Ukrainian pianist and a winner of numerous international piano competitions, including the Paderewski International Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz and the Scriabin International Piano Competition in Moscow. In January 2023, she collaborated with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and recorded the piano concerto “AIR” by Christian Schittenhelm. The recording is featured in a recently released album with the same title.

Her collaboration with French composer Christian Schittenhelm is not new. In fact, her first collaboration with the composer was back in 2022 when she recorded Synesthesia, featuring solo piano works by Christian Schittenhelm under his record label. Their collaboration began with an email.

Svetlana Andreeva with Sergey Neller and Royal Scottish National Orchestra © Martin Shields

His email found me while I had COVID. I wasn’t very sick, but I had that strange, surrealistic perception that often comes with the virus. And then, suddenly, an absolute stranger asked if I would perform some piano concertos with the great Royal Scottish National Orchestra – it sounds a bit like a feverish fantasy, doesn’t it? I’m not used to such emails. Then I got to know Christian and his music, which intrigued me with its hardly definable style – sometimes impressionistic, sometimes like movie music, but always searching for new expressive means.

Piano Concerto No. 4 (3rd movement) by Christian Schittenhelm (RSNO & Sergey Neller)

In the Air concerto, she recorded with the prestigious Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She collaborated with her husband, German conductor Sergey Neller, the second prize winner in the Mahler Competition.

The Air concerto is special in my repertoire because I’ve always specialized in academic music, and this particular piece sounds more like popular music. Speaking of specific moments, have you noticed that in some parts of the first movement, the music quasi-leads to a culmination but is interrupted and then grows again from the ground? It happens several times and works well for the dramaturgy of the whole piece. I can’t recall exactly how long it took – I think I started working on it after my Paris recital on November 21st, and we recorded it in the first days of January. We worked quite intensively together with my husband; it was a unique experience.

Andreeva was born in Ukraine, but most of her studies took place in Russia. The current war between Russia and Ukraine did not affect her physically but definitely in many other ways.

I was born in Ukraine but spent my childhood and youth in southern Russia, where I started my musical education at four. My parents are not musicians, but a good German piano was bought at the first opportunity, long before I could use it. When I turned fifteen, I dreamt, as many teenagers do, of leaving my parents’ house. So, I went to Moscow to study at the Central Music School and later at the Moscow Conservatory, where I stayed with my husband; I decided to leave Russia shortly before the annexation of Crimea. The Russian state did not promise anything good for the future, but we could not imagine what would come in 2022…

I am fortunate not to have suffered from the bombing of my house or the loss of loved ones. I suffer only from the terrible shame and guilt I feel for Russia and the piercing compassion I have for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky, even in my own family.

My grandmother fled her hometown, which was occupied by Russian troops, after spending almost two weeks in a cold basement without electricity, water, heating, or any connection to the outside world. She hid there, hearing the bombings on the neighbouring street. Her house was damaged as well. Now, she is safe in Germany, and her town has been liberated, but the war continues, and the frontline is not far from there.

In addition to her busy performance schedule, Andreeva is preparing for a competition, which sounds exciting.

Currently, I’m immersed in modern and contemporary repertoire because I was fortunate to be selected as one of the 12 pianists for the final phase of the Orleans Piano Competition. I’m preparing a program for three rounds featuring music written from 1901 to 2024. Each round is structured as a unique concept and supported with a specially written note of intent. It’s challenging but exceptionally inspiring! This kind of repertoire – unknown and rarely played – is what I enjoy working on the most. It gives the interpreter freedom from canons and expectations, enabling the discovery of new meanings and the creation of new contexts.

“Air”

In addition to the Air Concerto for piano, the album features Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune and another work by Christian Schittenhelm: Dawn, a symphonic poem in a single movement

The album Air is now available on any streaming platform. Learn more about Svetlana Andreeva.

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