Dances of Memory by Polina Nazaykinskaya, Green Dot Journey Competition Winner

From her years residing in New Haven, Connecticut, Nazaykinskaya draws upon the area’s scenic beauty for musical inspiration: “Connecticut enchanted me with its magical diversity, whether I was meandering along the green alleys in downtown New Haven in the long days of summer, or seeking shelter in the shades of Sleeping Giant Park or watching the sunset on the stunning beaches of Old Saybrook, or catching the breathtaking views of the shores of East Haven.” In Dances of Memory, Nazaykinskaya pushes the boundaries of musical expression in her exploration of the nature of life in the Age of Anxiety including, “the dialectical processes and contradictions of the anxious mind (characteristic of the modern persona), the bifurcation and fragmentation of the human consciousness and the fleeting emotions which alternate between dream-like delirium and being fully awake and present in the moment.”   

Born in Togliatti, Russia, Polina Nazaykinskaya studied composition at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia and Yale University where she received a Master of Music Degree and Artist Diploma. At Yale, she studied with Christopher Theofanidis and Ezra Laderman. She is now completing her Doctorate in Composition at the CUNY Graduate Center with Tania León. Polina is also a Teaching Artist at the New York Philharmonic Composers Bridge Program and an Adjunct Lecturer of Composition at Brooklyn College Conservatory. Website