At the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862, Leschetizky introduced the technique of a relaxed, weight-produced sound which later became the foundation of the Russian piano school. This revolutionary approach changed the destiny of piano literature and paved the way for such giants as Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. Peskanov believes that 21st century Piano Pedagogy has to combine the performing element with a reflection of these great traditions of the past. "The inspiration of making music evolves from the realization of technical freedom."

Piano Olympics is an event, based on the Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano as outlined by Alexander Peskanov in his Piano Olympics Manual. The Piano Olympics Event itself is not a competition. It’s a showcase which measures each student’s progress in musical skills. The students are evaluated according the standards set forth in the Manual. Students in each level perform as a team. Students gain a sense of companionship and teamwork through the experience of performing for each other, and teachers have the opportunity to express their ideas in a friendly atmosphere. And besides all this, it’s fun!

The Piano Olympics always concludes with an awards ceremony where the Piano Olympics Consultant joins forces with participating teachers and students, performing a marathon of scales. This is an exciting program and a fun way to learn at the same time.

Alexander Peskanov

"This brilliant pianist can create incredible excitement and knows how to please a crowd," reported The Washington Post when reviewing Alexander Peskanov’s Kennedy Center performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto. Mr. Peskanov’s American debut as orchestral soloist came with the National Symphony under Rostropovich, and he has since appeared internationally with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as in the United States with the Baltimore, St. Louis, Houston, Utah, Richmond and Pacific Symphonies. He was also the featured soloist during the six-week tour of the Polish Chamber Orchestra which included appearances at The Kennedy Center and Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Mr. Peskanov has performed at the Wolf Trap, Aspen, Grant Park, Newport and Flagstaff festivals, and in coast-to-coast recitals including the prestigious Van Cliburn Foundation Series in Ft. Worth, Texas, and the Gina Bachauer Piano Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. Among the illustrious musicians with whom he has collaborated are Maurice Andre, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Yo-Yo Ma. He also appears frequently with his brother, Mark Peskanov.

Alexander Peskanov is also a successful composer of classical works. His "Concerto for Piano Quartet and Orchestra," commissioned by The American Piano Quartet, premiered in 1996 at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Mr. Peskanov is the recipient of three special ASCAP awards.

His recordings include a CD of his own piano compositions entitled "Spirits of the Wind – Peskanov Plays Peskanov" which has been featured in a satellite broadcast on National Public Radio stations. Among other recordings by Mr. Peskanov are Mozart’s Concerto in Eb Major, Liszt’s Malediction, Beethoven’s Concerto in G Major No. 4 and Morton Gould’s Concerto Concertante.

Mr. Peskanov graduated from the Stoliarsky School of Music in Odessa, Ukraine, and received his Masters and Bachelor degrees at The Juilliard School in New York. He is also the author of the series of six books entitled: "The Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano," published by the Willis Music.