Dr. Natalya Shkoda

Natalya Shkoda has been praised for her “impressive pianistic range” (International Piano), "considerable power" (All-Music Guide), "brilliant technique and depth of artistic interpretation" (Ukrainian Weekly) and “extremely natural piano sound” (Music Web International). Since presenting her first solo recital and winning the National Composers’ Competition at the age of thirteen, she has performed over 300 recitals worldwide and appeared as a soloist with MasterWorks Symphony, Southwest Symphony, Paradise Symphony and North State Symphony.

A recipient of the Presidential Scholarship in Ukraine in 1993, she is a winner of the National Young Composers’ and Journalists’ Competitions, MasterWorks Festival Concerto Competitions and Klatzkin Contemporary Music Competitions in both piano and harpsichord.

Natalya Shkoda holds Doctorate and Master’s degrees in piano performance from Arizona State University, Diplomas with distinction in piano and musicology and Performer’s Certificate from Kharkiv State National University of Arts in Ukraine, and Diploma with Gold Medal in piano and composition from Kharkiv Special Music School for Gifted Children in Ukraine. Her three-volume “Kosenko Recording Project” features the first Western recording of Kosenko “Eleven Études in the Form of Old Dances,” Op. 19 (Toccata Classics, 2006), and the premiere recordings of his “Complete Piano Sonatas" (Centaur Records, 2011), “Eleven Études,” Op. 8, and “Twenty-Four Children’s Pieces,” Op. 25 (Centaur Records, 2015). Her newest CD album features "The Seasons," Op. 37 bis and "Album for the Young," Op. 39, by P.I. Tchaikovsky (Centaur Records, 2018).  Dr. Natalya Shkoda is Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at California State University, Chico.​

Fall 2021-Spring 2022

The primary purpose of the Natalya Shkoda's sabbatical project (CSU, Chico, AY 2021-22) is to thoroughly practice in preparation for a new solo piano CD recording that will feature the Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, and Kreisleriana, Op. 16, by Robert Schumann (1810-1856).  Natalya's new, fifth solo CD will be approximately 60 minutes long.  Centaur Records, the largest independent publisher in the U.S.A., who has already published Natalya's three previous piano solo CDs during the past decade (Kosenko Piano Music, Vol. 2 (2011); Kosenko Piano Music, Vol. 3 (2015); and Tchaikovsky CD (2018), expressed the interest in releasing this perspective CD recording of Schumann.  The originality of this new recording lies in artistic interpretation of twenty-one solo piano pieces by Robert Schumann.