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Alla Voskoboynikova is an acclaimed pianist, collaborator, and educator based in St. Louis, Missouri. She performs extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, regularly appearing with members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and coaching for Union Avenue Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Alla is an active member of the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, where she frequently appears as a soloist, chamber musician, and coach. Since 2004, she has served as Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where she was named Teaching Professor of Piano in 2014.

At the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Alla directs the annual Young Artist Competition, a vibrant showcase of emerging talent from both UMSL and high schools across the Midwest. This program offers gifted young musicians a rare and inspiring opportunity to perform as soloists with the UMSL Symphony Orchestra. Under Alla’s leadership, the competition has become a celebrated platform for artistic growth, community engagement, and musical excellence.

Originally from Ukraine, Alla began her career as a pianist and vocal coach at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater. She holds degrees in Piano Performance from the Music College in Voronezh and the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, where she studied under Oleg Milman and Lina Bulatova—students of Elena Gnessina and Genrikh Neigauz.

Her collaborations span Grammy Award-winning soprano Christine Brewer, STLSO concertmaster David Halen, and the Arianna String Quartet, among many others. Notable performances include concertos by Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Mozart, and Shostakovich with orchestras in Russia and the U.S., as well as a Carnegie Hall recital with flutist Brenda Hagni.

As an educator with over 30 years of teaching experience in both Russia and the United States, Alla brings a deeply personal and holistic approach to her pedagogy. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that students benefit profoundly from studying with a professor who is also an active performer. Her daily engagement with the learning process—through rehearsals, collaborations, and performances—keeps her closely connected to the student experience and fuels her passion for teaching. Alla is committed to helping her students grow not only as pianists and musicians, but as thinkers and individuals. She emphasizes disciplined practice, intellectual curiosity, and the joy of lifelong learning. Her goal is to cultivate a deep appreciation for art in its broadest sense, encouraging students to explore connections between music, literature, painting, and dance. She inspires her students to become ambassadors of music, art, and culture.

Her studio is diverse and inclusive, welcoming students from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Alla tailors her approach to each individual, drawing from a rich compilation of methods and her own insights to create a personalized path for every student. She sets high expectations while offering compassionate guidance, helping students transform challenges into strengths.

Alla was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023 and received their Top Teacher Award in 2016. Her students regularly perform at major St. Louis venues and participate in regional and national competitions. She frequently organizes thematic chamber music series and cultural exchange programs.

In 2012, Alla organized a concert tour in Russia, which included a series of piano recitals in St. Louis’ sister city of Samara. As part of a cultural exchange between the two cities, her students—John Nuckols, Tom Winkler, Daniel Dickson, and Daniel Kuehler—performed at the Samara Philharmonic Hall and the Samara Social Humanitarian Academy.

Alla is a frequent adjudicator and clinician for local teachers’ organizations and music institutions.

Alla resides in St. Louis with her husband, Ilya Litvin, a Ukrainian-born trumpet player and teacher.

Garik Pedersen, a Steinway Artist, is enjoying a rewarding “post-academic” career as a teacher, performer, and researcher in St. Louis, Missouri. His new recording of solo and chamber works for piano by British composer Sasha Johnson Manning will be released in 2025. He was featured in a May, 2024 television documentary on The Victory Vertical Project, his touring lecture-performance that tells the musical story of small pianos built for the military during World War II (Fox Nation, Secret History of WWII, season 3).

His performance career has taken him throughout the US and to Europe, Asia, Canada, Central America, and the Philippines. He has presented programs for the State Department, the National Federation of Music Clubs, and professional music teacher associations in the US, Europe, Canada, and Taiwan. His recordings can be found on the Albany, Regent, and Hornblower labels and he has performed on numerous public television and radio broadcasts.

Pedersen taught for over 30 years at Eastern Michigan University, which granted him emeritus status in 2021. At EMU his piano studio included prizewinners in national, international, regional and state competitions. Since moving to St. Louis, he has had a finalist (2023) and a winner (2024) in the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition at the Fox Theatre.

A scholarship student of Wesley True at the University of Central Missouri, which named him Distinguished Alumnus in Music, he was a DMA piano student of John Simms at the University of Iowa. Other major influences have been Gyorgy Sebok, Eugene Bossart, and Edwin E. Gordon.

Garik is a past president of Michigan Music Teachers Association, which honored him with its Distinguished Service Award in 2016. He received the Michigan Touchstone Award in 2017 in recognition of his “commitment to Michigan’s artistic excellence and his advocacy for the arts.”

For more information about The Victory Vertical Project: victoryvertical.com.