Thursday, June 13th

Praised for expressing "ultra-sensitive and highly refined pianism" (Quinte Society for Chamber Music), pianist Petya Stavreva holds a Doctorate degree in Musical Arts from Western University. Prior to arriving at Western, she finished her Master's degree at the University of Texas at Austin, receiving full scholarship and grant support from Canada Arts Council.

Dr. Stavreva recently relocated to Alberta and is now based in St. Albert. She is the incoming President of the St. Albert Piano Teachers' Association, and is also certified by ARMTA. Petya maintains an independent teaching studio in-person and online, and her students continuously succeed in festivals and competitions. Most recently, two of her students were awarded 1st place for levels 5 and 10 of the RCM's "Music Lights the Way" festival. Petya is in demand as an educator and has been an adjudicator for the Kiwanis Festival in Toronto, the Pickering GTA Music Festival, the Brant Music Festival, the Kiwanis Festival in Ottawa as well as the Ontario Music Festival Association in Hamilton, among many others. In 2024, she is adjudicating the British Columbia's Provincial Festival. She also collaborated with violinist Marie Berard (from the Canadian Opera Company) in recordings for the RCM's 2022 Celebration Series.

Petya has been a prize winner of numerous competitions in Canada and Europe, and has played concerts throughout Canada but also internationally, including in the US, France, Italy and Bulgaria.

She obtained an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School on full scholarship, and a Bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto. Shortly after moving to Canada in 2002, Petya also attended the Taylor Performance Academy in Toronto with full scholarship. She has been very fortunate to study with a variety of teachers including Leslie Kinton, Anton Nel, James Anagnoson, Jamie Parker, Marietta Orlov and Arshalouis Nersessian.