Piano
Education
Under a fellowship award at the University of Michigan, Victor obtained a Master’s of Music in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. Former teachers include Charles Fisher, Maritza de Kitras Tagaropulos, Joanne Smith, Martin Katz, Eckhart Sellheim, and masterclasses with Leon Fleischer, Santiago Rodriguez, Daniel Pollack, and Stephanie Brown. Victor has an undergraduate degree in Piano Performance from the University of Montana. He also has a keen interest in international development and obtained a Master of Public Policy Management from Georgetown University.
Performance and Teaching Experience
Victor has given recitals in Europe, Russia, and Latin America. In 2024, he was invited to be a juror for the Concurso Juvenil de la Asociación de Pianistas de Panamá. He is also on the piano faculty at Kinhaven Music School in Vermont, where he performs and coaches piano ensembles. Victor performs in a piano duo with Ralitza Patcheva. Victor has won a number of prizes, including an award for teaching from the Fifth Biennial National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, first prize in the Montana State Music Teachers Association collegiate artist competition, and first place in the Young Artist Concerto Competitions of the University of Montana Chamber Orchestra, Missoula, and Billings Symphony Orchestras. He is the author of three music books, published by Alfred Music Company, which received awards from the National Federation of Music Clubs.
At Levine
A Levine faculty member since 1992, Victor taught piano for several years before taking a professional sabbatical to practice socio-economic development in Latin America funded by USAID. Since returning to Levine in 2012, Victor has taught and coached piano students of all ages in private classes, chamber music ensembles, and group performance classes. In commemoration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Victor has organized a yearly Latin American Piano Recital each fall featuring Levine Music colleagues.
Teaching Philosophy and Approach
At the heart of musical expression lie several fundamental skills: a keen ear for listening, an agile technique, and a love for making music. I aim to inspire my students to develop these skills through technical exercises, inspirational repertoire, and by listening to the great masters in recordings and in live performances.
Outside of Levine
In his spare time, Victor plays in a piano trio with cellist Vasily Popov and violinist Sergey Prokofyev, and enjoys traveling abroad, taking long walks and cooking.