Mission Statement
The Prima Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to inspiring artistic excellence by supporting emerging pianists from diverse backgrounds. Through scholarships, educational programs, and performance opportunities, the foundation provides transformative experiences that empower young musicians to reach their full potential in the world of music.
Board of Directors
Anastasia Dedik
President, Artistic Director
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Anastasia Dedik is an internationally acclaimed pianist, known for her versatility in solo, chamber, and vocal repertoire. Praised for her “flawless and memorable” performances (New York Concert Artist Review), she has appeared at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg. She has collaborated with renowned orchestras like the Fort Worth Symphony and Saint Petersburg Philharmonic and was featured on networks like RAI TV and NBC’s Law and Order: SVU.
A winner of numerous international competitions, Anastasia’s accolades include top prizes at the Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition. Her recent recording of Theodore Akimenko’s works was released on Toccata Classics.
A dedicated educator, she founded Prima Music Foundation, Prima Music Academy, and the Prima Music Institute & Festival Summer Camp. Her students have performed at Carnegie Hall and won top awards. Currently, Anastasia is completing her Doctor of Musical Arts at Rutgers University.
Julie Poklewski
Vice-President
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Julie Poklewski began teaching piano classes when she was seventeen. Her mom, a concert pianist, had gone on tour to Spain, and while she was away, Julie took on her mom’s piano students so they wouldn’t miss out on their lessons. She later went on to earn her B.M. degree in Piano Performance and her M.A. in Piano Pedagogy.
Her love for teaching only grew from there. From holding lessons out of her own house, Julie expanded into program development: facilitating group classes, organizing recitals, and hosting guest speakers to talk about history and composition to her students. Julie has been teaching and developing music programs ever since. In August of 2020, Julie founded Opus11 School of Music, together with her husband, Alex Poklewski.
Julie has worked as a collaborative pianist with various choirs, musicals, and soloists, including the Vivace Youth Chorus since its inception in 2003. For six years, she has served as president of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Santa Clara Chapter. Within MTNA, she started several successful adult recitals and an emerging artists recital series. Julie is also executive director of the San Jose International Piano Competition.
George Michael
Secretary and Treasurer
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George Michael is a New York City-based saxophonist and educator with over 20 years of experience as a performer, clinician, composer, and arranger. He has played at notable venues, including the Carnegie Hall Music Educators Workshop, Stephen NYC Jazz Workshop, and with the Michael Shirtz Quartet. He is also a founding member of the Washington Heights Jazz Festival, which showcases musicians from Upper Manhattan and the greater NYC area.
George earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley and a Master’s in Performance with a concentration in Jazz Studies from Bowling Green State University. He began his teaching career as a middle and high school band director in South Texas, where his students earned prestigious awards and were accepted into top music programs, including Berklee College of Music and The Peabody Institute. Throughout his time in Texas and northern Mexico, he remained an active performer across various musical settings.
After completing his Master’s degree, George joined the faculty at Bowling Green State University, teaching jazz improvisation and applied jazz saxophone. He also served as a faculty member at Terra State Community College, teaching courses in music and humanities.
Currently, George teaches music for the NYC Department of Education, focusing on students with high needs in the South Bronx. His musical influences include Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. He continues to develop as a musician, drawing inspiration from everything he listens to while actively performing and teaching in New York City.
Bin Fan
Development Director
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Bin is a software engineer at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution. While deeply intrigued by AI’s transformative impact on the world, he believes that music holds something uniquely human. It bridges the past and the future, connects individuals across cultures, and evokes emotions that words cannot fully capture. Discovering the magic of music later in life due to limited opportunities, he is now dedicated to helping the next generation find it more easily.
Board of Advisors
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Concert Pianist, Educator
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Konstantin Soukhovetski is an award-winning pianist, composer, and librettist, recognized for his dynamic performances and original compositions. A winner of 17 international piano competition awards, he has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall (London), and The Louvre (Paris). He regularly appears in recital and with orchestras across the U.S. and Europe, with recent engagements at PianoFête Festival in Vashon, WA, the International Composers Symposium in Del Mar, CA, and performances with the Auburn Symphony (CA) and Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra.
As Director of Education and Community Engagement at Grand Piano Series in Naples, FL, Konstantin integrates performance with audience interaction, a skill he has refined through lectures at The Juilliard School, where he is an adjunct faculty member. He has also given guest lectures at Curtis Institute of Music, Northwestern University, and institutions in Singapore and Latvia. He has served as a juror for the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition and will judge the 2025 Les Etoiles du Piano Competition in France.
As a composer, Konstantin’s notable works include The Pride Suite, commissioned by the ProtoStar Foundation, and his acclaimed transcription of R. Strauss’ Four Last Songs. His symphonic work Once Upon The Spring premiered with Auburn Civic Symphony and Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, while his solo violin piece Postcard from The Edge is featured on Elmira Darvarova’s recordings.
Born in Moscow to a family of artists, Konstantin studied piano and composition at the Moscow Central Special Music School before establishing his international career.
Victor Rosenbaum
Concert Pianist, Educator
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Victor Rosenbaum is a distinguished American pianist, composer, and educator with an international career spanning the United States, Europe, Israel, Brazil, Russia, and Asia. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in prestigious venues such as Tully Hall in New York and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Over the years, he has collaborated with renowned artists, including Leonard Rose, Paul Katz, Arnold Steinhardt, Robert Mann, and members of the Brentano, Borromeo, and Cleveland String Quartets. In addition to his performance career, he has conducted extensively in the Boston area and beyond.
Born in Indianapolis, Rosenbaum studied with Elizabeth Brock and Martin Marks before training under Rosina Lhevinne at the Aspen Festival and Leonard Shure, a disciple of Arthur Schnabel. He earned degrees from Brandeis University and Princeton before embarking on a five-decade teaching career. Recently retired from the New England Conservatory, where he taught for over 50 years, he chaired the Piano and Chamber Music departments. He was also on the faculty at Mannes School of Music (2004-2017), served as Visiting Professor at Eastman, and has been a guest teacher at Juilliard.
Beyond academia, he served as Director and President of the Longy School of Music (1985-2001). Currently, he continues to teach and perform worldwide, including recent engagements in Japan, Korea, Israel, and Taiwan. His acclaimed recordings are available on the Bridge and Fleur de Son labels, further solidifying his reputation as an influential figure in the piano world.
Rita Cuker
Honorary Emeritus
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Bio coming soon
