Frequent SFSO guest artist, pianist Svetlana Smolina returns for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major on January 21, 22 and 24, 2026.

“Mesmerizing and dynamic” (The New York Times), Svetlana Smolina has performed with orchestras and in recitals worldwide. A recipient of “New Names” scholarship program, her notable appearances with orchestras include Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestra National de France, Dublin Philharmonic, South Florida Symphony, Odessa and Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, New Florida Philharmonic, Shreveport Symphony, New York Chamber. A frequent guest at festivals worldwide, Ms. Smolina has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Rising Stars, White Nights, Maggio Musicale, Mikkeli, Ruhr, Moscow Easter, Rotterdam Phillips Gergiev, International Gilmore, Settimane Musicali di Stresa, Michelangeli, Hennessy Artists Series at Hanoi Opera House, The Voice of Music in Upper Galilee, in Royal Covent Garden Opera, Mariinsky 3 Concert Hall, Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, Mozarteum, Merkin Hall, Kravis Center, NJPAC, Yellow Lounge Berlin, Gulbenkian Foundation, Grand Artists Series in Tel-Aviv, Academia Santa Cecilia in Rome, Corfu Festival in Greece, New Names and  D. Sakharov Festival in Russia.

Recent recordings include Stravinsky’s Igor Stravinsky Les noces (Valery Gergiev, conductor on Decca/Phillips and on Mariinsky Label which received ICMA award), a recording of solo Chopin Album for the Chopin iTunes Project, Benjamin Britten Young Apollo live recording from Walt Disney Hall for BCM+D record, Scriabin CD on Pentatone Oxingale Records and many broadcasts for NPR, WQXR New York, BBC, PBS, RAI, Kultura TV and other networks.

In the summer of 2011 Svetlana joined iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles, making her debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall with iPalpiti Orchestra (Eduard Schmieder, conductor). Since 2011 Svetlana is a Director of the piano programs at Philadelphia International Music Festival. In 2014 Svetlana won “Live on Stage” live showcases and was chosen as their only Classical Pianist Artist for 2015-16 season.

In 2014-15 Vadim Repin gave a series of concerts /presentation with Svetlana at the residences of Ambassador of Russia in Washington DC and in London UK for Maestro Repin’s Trans -Siberian Art Festival. Their recital in March 2015 in Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada received an astonishing critical acclaim. In July 2015 they performed a recital as part of “2015 – Russian Year in Monaco Shining Stars of Russia” concert series in the Salle Garnier, Monte-Carlo Opera for Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

In 2015-16 season Svetlana opened the season with Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Juvenil in Lima, Peru, and was chosen as the soloist on the New Year tour to China with Dublin Philharmonic/ Maestro Derek Gleeson performing Rachmaninoff Concerto throughout in 7 cities including Suzhou Grand Theater, Harbin New Opera House and Harbin Concert Hall, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, Tianjin Grand Theater and in Changsha opening its new Concert Hall.

Highlights of 2016-2017 include performances and recordings at the inauguration year/ opening of Tippet Rise Festival in Montana together with Christopher O’ Riley with released CD on Pentatone Oxingale Records, duo recitals with Vadim Repin at Cartagena Music Festival in Teatro Colon, Bogota for “2017 Columbia- France Year”,  in Bangalore, Mumbai India for XXV Lakshminarayana Global  Music Festival, at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy; Carnegie Hall recital with Lee-Chin Siow, concert at  Sentosa World Theater in Singapore concert for International Women Day/Chinese Chamber of Commerce, masterclasses in Singapore at NAFA, tour with South Florida Symphony/Maestra Sebrina Alfonso in Florida and a recital in Buenos Aires, Argentina at CCK Symphony Hall for “The Best Pianists of the 21st Century “series”.

In the Spring of 2018 Svetlana played at the opening night of Navrasa Duende Global Carnival with Dublin Philharmonic on Nehru Stadium/ New Delhi; performed a duo recital at Basel Stadtcasino, Switzerland with Charlie Siem, made her debuts with Missouri Symphony /Maestro Kirk Trevor, Eastern Connecticut Symphony with Maestro Toshi Shimada, gave masterclasses/ workshops and a concert tour in China for Winplus International.

Invitations for 2019 included a debut at Lake Tahoe Festival with Maestro Joel Revzen , orchestra and solo debut at the Ushuaia, Festival Argentina, a chamber concert at VI Trans-Siberian Arts Festival with Vadim Repin and Alexander Kniazev, recitals in Sarasota for Chopin project, solo recital and recordings in Bangalore, India with Dr. Subramaniam for Sree Rama Seva Mandali Festival; an orchestra recording of Beethoven Double Concerto with  Maestro Derek Gleeson and Pavel Sporcl at Bulgarian National Radio in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Most recent engagements included debut with Maestro Daniel Boothe and Symphonicity at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, performances with Maestro Evgeny Bushkov and Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra, with Maestro Vladimir Plaksin and Dmitry Stoyanov with Nizhny Novgorod Soloists Chamber Orchestra,  recitals for the Hemet Concert Association, Ca, Wolfeboro Friends of Music, MA,  duo recitals in with Roberto Cani  and Evgeny Tonkha in USA and at the Cremona  International Festival/Italy; concert at the Primate’s Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia with Eva Virsik, recital in Megaron Chamber Hall in Athens for the Piano Plus Festival, the closing of the season concerts for IX Trans- Siberian Art Festival with Vadim Repin and Narek Hakhnazaryan and for South Florida Symphony’s 25th Season Anniversary.

Upcoming invitations include a recital tour in Brazil in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Burgos Festival in Spain with Schmuel Magen, Pasha Tseitlin, and Linda Veleckis Nussbaum, a tour in China including duet concerts with Vadim Repin at NCPA/ Beijin, at Shanghai Concert hall, in Xiamen at the Banlam Grand Theater, in Schenzen and in many other cities with Dublin Philharminic/ Maestro Derek Gleeson/ Pavel Sporcl, violin as well as recitals at the Prizery in South Boston,  at the Lompoc Concert Association,  at the Friends of Music/ Fripps Island, and at the Triumph Music Festival at the Kimmel Center Music Academy in Philadelphia.

Svetlana is a Grand Prix Winner of Citta Di Senigallia International Piano Competition, Kingsville Piano Competition, William Byrd Young Artists Piano Competition and a Prize Winner of Murray Dranoff International Duo Piano Competition and Shreveport Symphony Wideman Piano Competition. Mrs. Smolina studied at Indiana University with Professor Alexander Toradze, joining his famed Toradze Piano Studio; at Balakirev Music College with Natalia Fish, at Oberlin Conservatory with Monique Duphil, at Brussels Royal Conservatory with Eugeny Mogilevsky and at University of Michigan with Arthur Greene where she received her DMA.