Leonid Yanovskiy

Associate Professor & Director of Strings

"Yanovskiy... has made a name for himself as a soloist and a chamber musician, with concert credits all over the world. ...Played with finesse and sensitive touch." Denton Record Chronicle, September 5, 2004

"Dazzling musical personality... Stylistic mastery... Astonishing ability to merge with the musical partner... The impression was that the violin and piano duet was playing as if 'one person...'" - Russian Musician, Moscow, October 2003

"Enormous security and finesse..." Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ

Violinist Leonid Yanovskiy...started his musical education in Moscow (Russia). He graduated from the prestigious Moscow Gnessin College and Academy of Music where later he taught violin and chamber music. As violinist with the “Moscow Concert� Chamber Orchestra and principal violinist / guest soloist with the Chamber Orchestra "Northern Crown," Yanovskiy toured extensively throughout the former Soviet Union.

After his immigration to the United States in 1990, Dr. Yanovskiy received his doctorate from Rutgers University, where he studied with members of the Guarnery Quartet Arnold Steinhardt and Michael Tree. Since 1991, he is violinist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, NYC where he has played under the baton of Abbado, Mackerras, Menuhin, Norrington, Previn, Shaw, Zinman, and others. Dr. Yanovskiy has participated in numerous festivals, like the Lincoln Center Festival 96, Caramoor International Musical Festivals of 1991 - 2007; and Rutgers SummerFest 93-98. In 2004 and 2005, he was concertmaster with the NYC Washington Square Festival Orchestra.

Since 2000, Dr. Yanovskiy is director of the String Program at the University of West Florida, Pensacola and conductor of the University Orchestra. He organized and directed the Pensacola Summer Institute of Music (2001-2005). His violin and chamber music students win prestigious prizes at State, Regional, and National competitions. In 2007, his violin student Samuel Park won the second prize in Toronto, Canada at the National Finals of the MTNA Young Artist competition.

Dr. Yanovskiy is concertmaster with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Pensacola Opera, and North Florida Symphony Orchestra; as well as violinist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, NYC. In the last several years, Dr. Yanovskiy made numerous solo appearances with orchestra and played recitals locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2006, the CCn’C / Deutsche Austrophon GmbH & Co. KG Production released on the double DVD / CD disc his recording as the soloist with the Russian National Orchestra. His solo and chamber music recitals in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Denton, TX, Denmark, Germany, Israel, South Korea and Russia earned him praise from his audiences and music critics.