Ukrainian-American pianist and composer Milena Zhivotovskaya has won many international and national music competitions in piano and composition. Since immigrating to the United States in 2001 she has been a prize winner at the American Fine Arts Festival, The Young Artist Piano and Composers’ Competition, the ASCAP Young Composers’ Competition, and the Composition in the Arts Program. Ms. Zhivotovskaya performed one of her compositions on the radio program “From the Top” which aired on National Public Radio. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Merkin Concert Hall, Steinway Hall, Roerich Museum concert series, Soofser series at Bohemian National Hall (NY), Ukrainian Embassy (Washington, DC) and Colston Hall (UK) among others. She appeared as a soloist with Lucy Moses Chamber Orchestra playing “Four Temperaments” by Hindemith and Mozart’s Concerto 23, and with Mannes Chamber Orchestra playing Mozart’s Concerto 20, and Round Top Fesival Orchestra.

As a founding member of the Akian Quartet, Ms. Zhivotovskaya won the Concert Festival Chamber Competition in March 2010 and performed Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. As a founder, performer, and co-manager of Duo Ephelia, with clarinetist Amy Glover, she presents thoughtfully crafted recitals and creative educational programs. She has participated in International Keyboard Institute and Festival, Round Top International Festival Institute, and NYU Piano Intensive.

Between 2012-2015 Ms.Zhivotovskaya presented a series of solo and collaborative recitals in Bristol and Cambridge, UK. She has appeared on the Jerry Cowhig Show on BCFM radio where her performance and compositions were broadcast. She also premiered contemporary works by British composers, part of Piano Triets Project in Colston Hall, England.

Ms. Zhivotovskaya holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Mannes College where she studied with Pavlina Dokovska and Jerome Rose. Her composition mentors were Leonid Hrabovsky and Robert Cuckson. She has studied chamber music with Todd Phillips, Victor Rosenbaum, Lewis Kaplan, Charles Neidich, and David Krakauer. She has been a recipient of UJA Federation Rose Biller scholarships from 2004 to 2009, and in 2015.

She has been on Lucy Moses School piano faculty since 2012 and a substitute at Mannes Preparatory Division since 2010. She currently studies with Eteri Anjaparidze at NYU Steinhardt, where she is a member of Adjunct piano faculty.