Faina Podolnaya is a professional violin teacher in Ashland, Oregon and has resided in the Rogue Valley since 1999. Her education included seven years of music school, four years of college, and five years at the music conservatory. She received her Master’s in Music Teaching and Performance from Kazakhstan University, and while in Kazakhstan Ms. Podolnaya was a violin teacher for the Almaty State Conservatory, the head conductor for the award-winning ensemble of violinists, “Haian Nabi”, as well as being the Dean of the String Department at the Prokofiev Music School. Ms. Podolnaya was the recipient of many prestigious awards before coming to the U.S. including The Excellence of Teaching Medal from the government of Kazakhstan and the Soviet Union Laureate Teacher of the Year award.
After settling in Ashland, Faina started a private music studio for violin and viola students and organized her students into the Siskiyou Violins, a non-profit performing ensemble that has won many prestigious awards including gold prizes at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Faina Podolnaya has served since 2000 as Associate Conductor of the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon and many of her private students have gone on to become professional violinists, violin teachers, soloists, and symphony players.