Internationally acclaimed Russian pianist and Yamaha Artist Nikita Fitenko has performed recitals and with orchestras in the former Soviet Union, Europe, Asia, and South and North America. He has appeared as a soloist with such orchestras as St. Petersburg Capella Symphony, Russian Chamber Philharmonic of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg State Conservatory Orchestra, Slovak National Philharmonic, Lewisville Symphony, Rapides Symphony, State Hermitage Orchestra, and Northwestern Symphony Orchestra among others. Native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Nikita Fitenko graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a citation for excellence given to only five other graduates in the last fifty years. After receiving the Anton Rubinstein Memorial Award he came to study to the US pursuing his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of North Texas. Nikita Fitenko is a prizewinner of several competitions including the Belarusian International Piano Competition (Minsk, Belarus), Beethoven Piano Competition (Memphis, TN), and the Houston Symphony National Young Artist Competition (Houston, TX) among others. In 1999 and 2000, his three CDs of complete piano music by the Russian composers Georgy Sviridov and Sergey Slonimsky were released on the Altarus label. Mr. Fitenko's latest recording - Scriabin's Piano Concerto with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra was released on Classical Records label in December 2007. Dr. Fitenko has been invited to serve on many international piano competition juries including 2003 World International Piano Competition in Cincinnati, OH; 2008 Rachmaninov International Piano Competition in Moscow, Russia; 2008 Nordic International Piano Competition in Malmo, Sweden; 2008 Andorra International Piano Competition; 2009 American Pianists Association's Discovery Week Piano Competition in Indianapolis, IN; and 2010 Premio internazionale pianistico "A.Scriabin" in Grosetto, Italy. Currently, Dr. Fitenko holds a position of Associate Professor of Piano at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and co-directs the Washington International Piano Festival. Prior to that he was Associate Professor and Coordinator of Keyboard Area at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Mr. Fitenko is the founder and artistic director of the Louisiana International Piano Competition as well as one of the organizers and the Vice-President of the Florida International Piano Competition.
