Sedmara Zakarian Rutstein
Teaching
Sedmara Zakarian Rutstein taught at more than a dozen prestigious music programs around the world, sharing her passion for pianoforte for more than 30 years. Her longest tenure was as a faculty member at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, where she served as a professor from 1976 to 2012.
Faculty Profile
Watch to hear Sedmara explain her methodology and philosophy for teaching piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Sedmara's Student Testimonials
"My first semester here in Oberlin was very exciting for me, and my experience studying in your class was really amazing."
Teaching Philosophy
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I do not believe in a "one-size-fits-all" approach. My teaching methodology recognizes individual differences in student abilities, temperaments, needs, and backgrounds.
My views, based on a long concert stage career, inform critique of a student's performance. Students should perform as often as possible in suitable venues, such as recitals, public performances of both chamber and solo repertoire, and, of course, in national and international competitions.
Sedmara Zakarian Rutstein
Professor of Pianoforte
Sedmara's Teaching Appointments
The following is a list of universities, conservatories, and festivals where Sedmara taught to develop the next generation of pianists.
Leningrad State Conservatory
Leningrad (St. Petersburg), USSR
Faculty Member
1962 – 1973
Master Classes, Competitions, and Publications
Competition Juries
(partial list)
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International American Scholarship Competition, Cincinnati, OH
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International Competition, Midland/Odessa, TX
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International Piano Competition, New Orleans, LA
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Member of the Screening Committee for R. Cassadesus International Piano Competition, Cleveland, OH
Master Classes
& Workshops
(partial list)
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Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
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Oregon State University, Portland, OR
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University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
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Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
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Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
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St. Petersburg’s Conservatory, Russia
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Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, PRC
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Shanghai State Conservatory of Music, PRC
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Casalmaggiore International Music Festival, Italy
Lectures
(at various music schools)
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“Piano Technique”
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“The Art of Pedaling Piano”
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“Music of Scriabin”
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“Timing as Artistic Means in Piano Performance”
Publications
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Rutstein, S. Z. (2007). Piano arrangement of M. Ravel "La Valse." Phantom Publications.
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Zaitseva, T., Rutstein, S.Z., and Smirnov, V. (2007). Offering to Nadezhda Golubovskaya. Composizitor Publishing House.