Founder and Artistic Director of New York Piano Society, pianist Elena Leonova, emigrated from the Soviet Union, where she graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a “grandstudent” of the great Heinrich Neuhaus, teacher of Richter, Gilels and her pedagogue, Eugeny Malinin.

Critically acclaimed by major press and the first prize winner in several American piano competitions, Ms. Leonova has appeared throughout the U.S. and abroad in recitals and orchestras. She has performed under the direction of Lucas Foss, Luis Herrera del la Fuente, Mehli Mehta and Eduardo Rahn among others. She has performed at major venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall Recital Hall, Kaufman Hall of the 92nd Street Y in New York, and in the major halls of Los Angeles, Rome, and Mexico City. Ms. Leonova has served on the juries of numerous international piano competitions, and has performed and given master classes at numerous international music festivals including Festival Philharmonica de las Americas in Mexico, the Saluzzo Festival in Italy, InterHarmony in Germany and many others.

Elena Leonova is currently on the piano faculty of the Mannes College of music in the Preparatory and Extension division and her past teaching credits include positions at the New England Conservatory, SUNY Purchase, Rowan University and collaboration with the New York University.