Talya Umansky
Born in Shadrinsk, Ural, Russia, Talya Umansky started piano lessons age nine. She got her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Mussorgsky Music Academy.
While studying in the academy, Umansky worked as an accompanist at the College for Music Teachers, and after finishing her Master’s, she taught piano in the Conservatorium and started taking composing lessons from the renowned composer Klara Katzman. During her composition studies, Umansky composed “Puss in Boots”; an opera for children that was performed by the Tyumen City Philharmonic. The opera become very popular and ran for several seasons in various locations. Also the suite for piano “The World of Nature through the Eyes of a Child”, performed by the Yekaterinburg Philharmonic. Among her other works are also many pieces for the piano, violin and piano, two violins and piano, children’s songs, and songs for choir. In 1983 Umansky won 3rd place in a regional Ural-Siberia contest for composers by the Mussorgsky Academy, for her piano pieces “Tin Soldier” (Vol.3), “Autumn Mood” (Vol.7), and “Toccata” (Vol.8).
Umansky moved to Israel in 1989 and started extensive work in the field of musical education. During her first years she taught a solo vocal class to children in Bene Brit Culture and Arts center in Tel Aviv. Her students performed her own original source material, to lyrics by poets Tsippi Shachrur and Rina Levinson. During that time she also composed and written the Musical Ballet “Thumbelina”, based on the classical tale. The Musical was performed in Tel Aviv and the Dan region.
In 1994 Umansky started teaching piano at Shapira Culture and Arts center in Tel Aviv. Throughout all her years of work and experience in Russia and Israel. Umansky has written many pieces for piano. Often these were pieces that she wrote to address a specific issue or to show a principal, introduce a musical style, but mostly all pieces were written in mind to make the process of study and playing fun and enjoyable. In her many years of experience teaching piano Umansky developed a unique approach which is embodied in her method, which received acclaim from students, parents and colleagues, and got her students to enjoy playing the piano while gaining progress.
Her many pieces were bundled to an 8 volume series titled “To the Piano with Love”, published in 2011 in Israel. After seeing the successful results it had with teachers and students, the method was published internationally in 2021. The pieces are arranged in an increasing difficulty level and reflect her unique educational method.