January 22, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB junior Kseniia Polstiankina was selected the national finalist at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Southern Division Young Artist Piano Competition, collegiate level, held Jan. 16-18, in Petersburg, Va.
Polstiankina, a music major, will represent the southern division in the national finals of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Piano Competition in Atlanta, March 29-31. She will compete against the six other division winners in the finals. The national winner will receive a Steinway grand piano.
As the Alabama state winner, Polstiankina competed against eight other state winners in the southern division collegiate level competition. The states of the southern division are Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia.
Polstiankina is a student of UAB Associate Professor of Piano Yakov Kasman, D.M.A. She is the daughter of Irina Polstiankina and Sergei Polstiankin of Kiev, Ukraine.