Teachers

Anna Sagalova is an internationally recognised Ukrainian pianist and accomplished music educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience, director and founder of Ukrainian Music Academy. She holds a PhD in Art from the Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts and completed postgraduate studies with Professor G. Otto at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, Germany.

As a concert pianist, Anna is a laureate of numerous national and international music competitions in Canada, Italy, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Canada, and Germany. She has performed extensively as a soloist and with symphony orchestras throughout Canada, Ukraine, the United States, Switzerland, Great Britain, Austria, and beyond.

Alongside her performing career, Anna is deeply committed to music education. Over more than two decades of teaching, she has guided students of different ages and levels in developing strong technical foundations, musical expression, confidence, and an appreciation for classical music. Her students and graduates have become prize winners at Canadian, Ukrainian, and international music competitions.

At Ukrainian Music Academy, Anna brings together her extensive international performance experience and dedicated approach to teaching, helping each student develop their individual musical potential.

Svitlana Pryashzhna is an accomplished Ukrainian vocalist, bandura performer, and music educator with extensive experience in both teaching and professional stage performance. She is a graduate of the Kyiv National Music Academy of Ukraine, one of the country’s leading institutions for professional music education.

In Ukraine, Svitlana founded and directed her own vocal studio, where she worked with students of different ages and levels, helping them develop their voices, musical abilities, confidence, and individual artistic style. Today, she is delighted to continue sharing her passion for music with students in Canada.

Svitlana has developed her own vocal development program, combining healthy breathing and vocal technique with musical expression, performance skills, stage confidence, and creative freedom. Her approach creates a supportive and encouraging environment where students can discover their unique voice and grow as performers.

She teaches children, teenagers, and adults of all ages, personalising every lesson according to each student’s abilities, interests, musical style, and goals. Students can explore a diverse repertoire, including pop, contemporary, classical, and Ukrainian music, as well as songs in English, French, Spanish, and other languages.

Whether preparing for a performance or audition, developing professional vocal skills, or simply discovering the joy of singing, Svitlana helps each student progress at their own pace while building confidence and a lasting connection with music.

In addition to teaching, Svitlana continues to perform professionally as both a vocalist and bandura artist, bringing her real-world stage experience, musicianship, and passion for performance into every lesson.

Denys Panchenko is an accomplished Ukrainian classical guitarist, composer, and music educator with extensive experience in performance, composition, and professional music education. He holds a Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the Kharkiv National University of Arts.

During his studies, Denys participated in numerous international classical guitar and composition competitions, becoming a laureate of several competitions as both a performer and composer.

Denys brings more than 20 years of professional teaching experience to his students. For 21 years, he taught classical guitar at the Kharkiv College of Music, where he trained generations of young musicians. His students have become laureates of Ukrainian and international music competitions, with many continuing successful professional careers as music educators.

Today, Denys continues his career in Canada as a classical guitar teacher, concert guitarist, composer. His performance repertoire includes both classical works and his own original compositions. As a composer, he creates music in a wide variety of styles, with a particular focus on guitar, as well as music for film, television, digital media, and other creative projects.

As a teacher, Denys combines his extensive academic background, professional performance experience, and decades of teaching expertise to help students develop strong classical guitar technique, musical expression, and confidence as performers.

Pidgorna is an internationally recognised Ukrainian-Canadian composer, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist whose work brings together contemporary classical music, Ukrainian musical traditions, voice, visual arts, and theatre. She holds a PhD in Music Composition from Princeton University, a Master of Music from the University of Calgary.

Anna’s compositions have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by prominent ensembles and presenters across Canada, the United States, and Europe. She represented Canada at the ISCM World New Music Days in Vienna in 2013 and Bucharest in 2026.

Ukrainian cultural heritage plays an important role in Anna’s creative work. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts, she conducted field research in Ukraine, recording traditional folk singing and incorporating elements of Ukrainian melody, rhythm, vocal traditions, and poetry into her contemporary compositions.

As an educator, Anna brings her extensive academic and professional experience into the classroom, helping students explore music composition, history of music, creativity, musical language, and artistic expression while developing their own individual musical voice.