BIO
Maria Prokofieva was born in Minsk, Belarus.
She began her musical education at the age of 5 and one year later already had her first stage performance at the big hall of the Belarusian State Philharmonic.
At the age of 6 she entered a Specialized Music School founded by the Belarusian State Conservatory in Minsk for gifted children, which nowadays calls Republican Gymnasium – College under the Belarusian State Academy of Music. There she studied with piano teachers Irina Semenyako, Elena Serdyukova, Vera Logvinenko and Alla Himchenko. In 1999 she received her diploma for Piano Performance and Accompaniment with distinction.
The same year Maria was admitted without entrance exams to the Belarusian State Conservatory which, due its academic status, holds the name of Belarusian State Academy of Music. Her Professors at the Academy were Valery Shatsky (a pupil of Jacov Flier) – for piano solo, Sofia Okolova – for piano accompaniment and Irina Galochkina – for chamber music. In 2004 Maria received her Bachelor of Arts diploma as well as a diploma of Piano Performance with distinction in four qualifications: concert piano performer, piano accompanist, chamber music soloist, teacher.
In 2004-2006 she continued studying at the Belarusian State Academy of Music as a post-graduate trainee and assistant of both Professors Valery Shatsky for piano performance and pedagogy and Sofia Okolova for accompaniment.
In 2005-2006 Maria was teaching her own class of pupils at the Belarusian State Academy of Music at the department of Piano Accompaniment.
In 2006 she was admitted to a post-graduate piano performing course at the Queen Elisabeth College of Music in Belgium with Professor Abdel Rahman El Bacha.
In 2007 Maria moved to The Netherlands to study at the Conservatory of Amsterdam . In 2010 she graduated with professor Naum Grubert and received her Master of Music degree.
Maria became a laureate and prize-winner at many International piano competitions: Emmanuel Durlet International Piano Competition, Belgium (2005, Laureate), Andre Dumortier International Piano Competition, Belgium (2005, finalist and prize-winner), European Young Soloists Competition, Luxembourg (2003, Gold medal and special prize of jury), Carlo Soliva International Piano Competition, Italy (2000, Finalist), France Music Competition (1999, prize-winner), Oginsky International Competition, Belarus (1995, Laureate).
She as well participated in numerous masterclasses – with Evgeni Koroliov and Willem Brons in 2010, Vladimir Tropp in 2008, Leonid Margarius, Cecile Ousset and Anne Queffelec in 2007, Diane Andersen and Luiz de Moura Castro in 2005, Boyan Vodenitcharov and Daniel Blumenthal in 2004.
Maria has performed many concerts at different stages in various cities of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian State Philharmonic, Belarusian Composers Union), Belgium (Flagey, Bozar), Netherlands (Concertgebouw) and other countries.
As a soloist she performed for the Belarusian, Belgian and Dutch radio and television programs.
Maria gives piano recitals and as well active as a member of chamber music groups and accompanies singers. She is also active in teaching.
Maria’s recording of Borodin’s “Little Suite” was featured in the poetry film “The world of yesterday” (“De Wereld van Gisteren” 2016) by Kevin D’heedene.
In 2018 Maria formed a 4-hands “Prokofievs Piano Duo” with her mother Elena. The following years the family duo became laureates of six International Music competitions (five 1st prizes) and performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Maria resides in Leiden, The Netherlands.
