Dr. Ilya Blinov is a Russian-American pianist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the 2027 USOMC he serves as Coordinator of Adjudicators and as an adjudicator, and he closes competition week with the Adjudicator Showcase Masterclass & Concert.
Dr. Blinov trained in Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory. He then came to the United States, where he earned a Master of Music at Bowling Green State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Michigan. He has performed at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Yamaha Center in Paris, and the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.
He is known for the illuminated recital, a format that pairs music with narrative and visuals. The storytelling comes naturally to him: before moving to the US, he published more than a hundred articles and reviews as a music critic for Nizhny Novgorod News. He began teaching in Nizhny Novgorod in 1993 and has since taught at the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, Interlochen Arts Camp, and Susquehanna University, with students ranging in age from 5 to 83.
| You trained in Russia and earned your doctorate in Michigan. How did you get here? | After I finished all the steps of my musical training in Russia (school, college, conservatory, postgraduate, about 20 years in all), I decided to see what the US had to offer. First I was admitted to Bowling Green State University for a Master’s program, and then I was lucky enough to study at the University of Michigan for my Doctorate. |
| Your recitals combine music, narrative, and visuals. Where did that idea come from? | One of my teachers in Russia, Elena Dutlova, always included narrative in her studio recitals. We kids didn’t just play. We listened to what she had to say, and each of us was asked to contribute a sentence or two before playing our pieces. Her recitals were always a success. My illuminated recitals grow out of her idea of connecting the audience more closely with the music. |
| What does good adjudicating look like? What are you listening for? | Most of the music we perform has withstood the harshest test possible, the test of time, precisely because it allows countless interpretations. There’s no single correct way to play a Bach prelude or a Beethoven sonata. Once the major technical issues are resolved (the pulse is organized, the balance makes sense, the pedal is listened to, and so on), all that matters is what the pianist sees in the piece. What is important to him or her? It is fascinating to hear unique approaches to familiar music. |
| Competitions are high-pressure for young musicians. What do you hope students take away, whatever the outcome? | My students and I talk about competitions and what they offer a young musician. The most obvious benefits are the drive to do your very best, the test of performing under pressure, and the chance to see what your peers are doing. Last year, one of my students said something I didn’t expect to hear from a 10-year-old: “I learned how not to fall apart if they don’t call my name among the winners.” What a profound idea! Think how often in life you won’t get what you wanted and worked hard for. Learning to deal with that is a very important skill. |
| What does the Bay Area music community mean to you, and why did you say yes to USOMC 2027? | I moved to the Bay Area in 2017, so 2027 marks ten years here. It’s a unique place for a young pianist and a piano teacher. I have lived and worked in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York, and the Bay Area leaves all those great states way behind in its hunger for learning the piano and playing the great music written for it. USOMC brings that passion to a highly concentrated level. To me, it’s like having another Christmas in February! |
| Anything you’d like to say to the students competing this year? | The last five minutes before you step onto the stage are the scariest time imaginable. But once you take a bow and begin playing, it actually gets better. Remember that during those horrible five minutes. And remember that the judges who look so intimidating behind their desks know all about those five minutes, and they want you to do well. |