We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Kaushansky. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.

Maria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I started taking piano lessons in my childhood, in Russia. My family eventually immigrated to Canada, where I continued to pursue formal training in classical music. I completed the A.R.C.T Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music while I was in high school, and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto’s (UofT) Faculty of Music. At UofT, I studied with the great Prof. Boris Lysenko (formerly vice-president of the Leningrad Conservatory and chairman of its piano department). Towards the end of my university years, I became interested in expanding my musical skills beyond classical music. I began to study jazz piano and participated in renowned jazz workshops.

Nowadays, I perform as a soloist and as a leader of various jazz groups. Playing solo piano differs greatly from playing duo with a bass player, guitar player, or in a trio with a drummer. Every configuration requires musical adjustments, which are possible to learn only through the experience of doing it and learning “on the job.”

Ultimately, mastering an instrument is a life-long commitment. I continue to practice on a regular basis, striving to fill gaps in my knowledge. I focus not only on the specific aspects of playing piano (e.g., working on technique, theory, improvisation, etc.), but also on continuously learning new repertoire.

For me personally the main obstacle to learning is the lack of time. Despite the best efforts to create and maintain a regular practice schedule, the busy lifestyle of NYC sometimes makes it hard to maintain. However, the important thing is to keep at it; I try to fit in even a few minutes of practice every day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a pianist residing in New York City. I perform around NYC as both a soloist and as a leader of my jazz groups, and I also work as an accompanist for ballet dancers. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Toronto and an ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. When I was in university, there were no courses on how to build a career as a musician. Carving out my own career path in music has meant taking a lot of risks, making sacrifices, and stepping out of my comfort zone, which in return have led to many wonderful opportunities that I never could have imagined at the start of my career.

As a classical pianist, I have performed in some of the most esteemed chamber music festivals in Europe, including the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival (Italy), the Schlern International Music Festival (Italy), and the Alpen Kammer Music Festival (Austria). One of the most important facets of my career has been working as a ballet accompanist and collaborating with ballet dancers, which I began doing while I was still in university.

One of the most inspiring things about being a musician in NYC is being surrounded by so many talented musicians. While it is easy to become intimidated by this, I have found it important to remember that we all have something unique to offer through our music and our craft. Personally, I have a wide variety of musical interests, which includes the genres of jazz, pop, bossa nova, rock, folk and classical music (in all their various eras). I love combining elements of one genre with those of another—for example, playing pop/classic rock songs, and also improvising on them, or making an original arrangement.

In December 2024, I recorded my debut album with my trio, the great drummer Anthony Pinciotti and bassist Paul Gill. I’m very proud of this record, as it features all of my original compositions, and is the result of many years of hard work. I look forward to the release of the record in the coming months.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a musician for me has been meeting people from many different walks of life. Whether it’s playing with different musicians, playing for dancers, or meeting and talking to people at my performances, I truly enjoy the connections and conversations. I love seeing the joy in people as they tell me about their own experiences playing an instrument, or a particular song they love. One of the most powerful aspects of music is that it brings people together, and that’s something that is very meaningful to me.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I was studying classical music, there was always a pressure to strive for “perfection,” to play pieces “correctly,” in adherence to the musical style and era of the composer. This pressure felt very stifling. While I’m so grateful for the training I received, which I consider a crucial foundation of my musical skills and knowledge, I’ve had to unlearn/relearn certain things, including the ideal of playing something “perfectly.”

Over the last few years, as my repertoire and musical interests have expanded beyond classical music, I’ve worked on shifting my perspective, realizing that each performance is an opportunity for improvement – to develop an arrangement of a tune, work out my solos, learn new songs etc. I have worked on replacing the pressures of playing “perfectly” to being grateful to be able to do what I love and collaborate with great musicians.

Other things I had to unlearn/relearn from my initial training were things like a “correct” hand position, and learning songs by ear instead of playing only from sheet music. At this point in my career, I’m also focused more on developing my own original sound/musical voice. I like to use the following analogy to language: while we may all speak English and use the same vocabulary and grammar, it is our choice of words, intonation, rhythm, and manner of speaking that are so unique to each of us. Similarly, when I play a song, my goal is to play in a way that’s uniquely mine. While this pursuit is not easy, after years of playing and reflecting on my goals, it is the one that I find most inspiring and productive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mariakaushansky.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masha_piano_gal/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNCJd-A26e-zorVlLxOYtfw

Image Credits

Ben Bulent Doruk