Marina Surgan

Veteran and musical fixture of NBS spanning four decades, Marina Surgan is the gold standard of piano accompaniment at the school. Surgan is the Principal Pianist and Manager of Musicians at NBS. She was classically trained in the former Soviet Union, first at the renowned Music School for Gifted Children, named after Professor Stolyarsky, in Odessa, Ukraine, and then continued her education at Moscow's Gnessin Pedagogical Institute. She is a trained soloist, concertmaster, and gifted piano teacher. Surgan immigrated to Toronto in 1975 and joined NBS in 1978. Highlights of her creative career include composing music for the Cecchetti grade examinations, recording music for the Prix de Lausanne, conducting accompanist workshops, and playing for master classes.

Since 1984, Marina has played for NBS Spring Showcases, and through her work at NBS, she has travelled across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan, Finland, and Sweden. Marina’s music CDs and piano books for Ballet Class are used by accompanists and ballet teachers all over the world and are available on her website, https://marinasurgan.ca. You can even find some of her original compositions played in television shows, and films, and used and performed in acclaimed documentaries.

Fun facts about me:

Dream job as a child: I always dreamed of being a piano teacher, a dancer, and even a pop singer.

What do you do in your free time: I enjoy spoiling my granddaughter, spending time with close friends, and composing new music.

Bucket List item: Release my new CD of original music for ballet class and publish the associated sheet book.