Julia Kovalev teaches piano, music theory and chamber music. She has been a faculty member of Westminster Conservatory of Music since 2011 and also teaches at the Conservatory鈥檚 Honors Music Program. She holds a M.M. from Petrozavodsk State Conservatory, Russia, and a B.M. from Chernigov Music College, Ukraine. A highlight of her studies involved postgraduate research on Hildegard of Bingen, one of the first known women composers, which she conducted at the music department of The Russian Institute for the History of the Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Julia鈥檚 principal teachers were Larisa Kolesnik, Larisa Soloshenko, Joseph Kon, and Anna Porfirieva. When she moved to New Jersey, she received additional training at Westminster Professional Development Certificate Program. She has also studied piano pedagogy with Ingrid Clarfield and Phyllis Lehrer at Westminster College of the Arts. Julia is very grateful to her teachers for the inspiration and knowledge she received from them, and strives to pass her love to music on to her students.
Ms. Kovalev began teaching in her native town of Chernigov. She has taught at music schools and colleges in Ukraine, Russia and the United States. Her professional experience in Princeton area includes teaching at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts and accompanying at Princeton Ballet School.
Julia believes in the value of early childhood music training. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and skill levels, and is especially interested in observing music development of those students who started at an early age. She is experienced in preparing candidates for the international exams in piano and music theory such as ABRSM, RCM, and the Trinity. Her students also participate in the local festivals and competitions and frequently perform.
Julia Kovalev is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. She serves on the executive board of the NJMTA as the Coordinator of the MTNA Students Composition Competition in New Jersey.