Breathing Life into Chopin: Platinum Prize Winner Vladyslav Ustiuhov on Artistry, Inspiration, and the Journey Ahead
- WOMCO
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
Vladyslav Ustiuhov was awarded the Platinum Prize and the Bizet Special Prize for Excellent Musicianship in the Professional (No age limit) category of the 2025 Season 3 Georges Bizet International Music Competition.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your music training journey, and your goals for the future in music?
My name is Vladyslav Ustiuhov, a Ukrainian pianist residing in Miami, FL, performing as a soloist and chamber musician. My musical journey began in Ukraine, leading me to the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where I earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance under the guidance of Professor Max Levinson. Currently, I am pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Keyboard Performance at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami under the tutelage of Professor Tian Ying. My goal is to continue performing, collaborating with diverse musicians, and inspiring audiences through emotional interpretations while teaching and mentoring the next generation of pianists.
Could you walk us through your approach to preparing and interpreting your award-winning video performance "F. Chopin. Ballade no.1 op.23 G Minor"? What were some of the artistic or technical considerations that shaped the final result? Were there any moments during rehearsals that stood out to you?
Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 is one of the well-known and most performed pieces over the world. I should mention it is a quite challenging one also. It requires a lot of hard work on the proper theme voicing, continuous legato phrasing, breathing rubato, in addition to the technical difficulties, of course. Thus, the most important advice from my teachers was a necessary slow practice, finding good fingering, and constant recording myself. I am also very grateful to Professor Kevin Kenner and Doctor Naoko Takao at the Frost School of Music for their insightful master-classes on balancing and voicing in this piece. Over the course of learning Chopin’s Ballade No. 1, I listened to a lot of recordings made by prominent pianists. A signed CD from Evgeny Kissin, whom I met after his2015 Boston Symphony Orchestra Hall recital, inspired me to perform all four ballades.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank?
Participating in the George Bizet International Competition was a rewarding challenge, pushing me to refine my artistry and expanding my audience. I am deeply grateful to my teachers Max Levinson and Tian Ying, my family, and friends for their strong support!
