Distinguished Professor of Piano

Continuing a distinguished career as both a concert artist and music educator, this past September Karen Beluso was chosen as Business Development Lead, Northeast, for the Royal Conservatory of Music.  Prior to this she served as Institutional Sales Manager of Steinway & Sons for the tri-state area for more than a decade.

 No stranger to childhood celebrity, she made her orchestral debut at age twelve with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C. This led to an appearance with the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony that was followed by a Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Youth Symphony in a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 while still a teenager. 

 After her Carnegie debut, she began receiving invitations to perform from almost every corner of the globe: Costa Rica, the Philippines, Switzerland, Taiwan, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, D.C.—all of which led to even more accolades from critics and audiences alike.

Earning Bachelor’s of Music, Master’s of Music, and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from The Juilliard School, Dr. Beluso has expanded her career to include work in both Music Education and Arts Administration. She has been Department Head of Performing Arts at Portledge School in Locust Valley, NY, a faculty member at the C.W. Post Summer Chamber Music Festival, Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Long Island Philharmonic, and currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Piano with the Alexander & Buono International Academy.

Piano

Having been a member of the Alexander & Buono family since 2009 when she won the Bradshaw & Buono Piano Competition, Ms. Shelest continues to perform on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. By partnering with The Sorel Charitable Organization we have been able to provide her with her Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall debuts with orchestra, as well as five CDs under the Sorel Classics label.

Piano

As a laureate of the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition at age eleven, Tokyo native Nana Miyoshi impressed both adjudicators and the audience at her Carnegie Hall debut with an astonishing ability that has already brought her international acclaim. 

With concepts like career strategy and the need to establish professional credentials firmly in her grasp, she has already won a number of other competitions, among them first prize in the Yokohama International Piano Competition; the Imola International Piano Audition in Japan; and Austria’s Classic Pure Vienna International Music Competition.  

In 2020, she performed the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A-major, K. 488 in Turkey with the Mersin State Opera and Ballet Orchestra under the baton of Nezih Seçkin, conductor and music director of Ankara State Opera and Ballet, and returned last year by special invitation from Naci Özgüç, chief conductor of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, to perform the Grieg Concerto in A-minor.

She also made her New York recital debut last year at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and another solo recital debut at The Church, the arts center in Sag Harbor, New York. 

Having begun her piano studies at age three, it seems hard to imagine that at sixteen Nana has already worked at her craft for over a decade. Audiences continue to be inspired by her focus, dedication, and promise, and all of us at Alexander & Buono consider it a privilege to help guide her career.  

Piano

Rupert Egerton-Smith continues to distinguish himself as an artist of both rare technique and superb musicality, with his performances being hailed by audiences and critics alike as both intuitive and thoughtful, reflecting the seasoned artistry that continues to bring him praise around the world.

Having just performed for Her Majesty Queen Camilla at Salisbury Cathedral as part of a Hundredth Anniversary celebration of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” he will soon embark on a tour of the United States that includes appearances at three of the East Coast’s most prestigious venues. At the invitation of The Lambs, the oldest professional theatrical organization in the United States, he will perform an all-Gershwin program for their Sesquicentennial Celebration, followed by his debut at The Church, the internationally celebrated arts center in Sag Harbor, New York, and a concert at New York’s Kosciuszko Foundation that will feature works by Chopin.

Currently performing extensively throughout the United Kingdom, he recently returned from a successful tour of the Middle East which became the subject of a documentary entitled Evolve. He has also appeared at the famed Salle Gaveau in Paris, where the performance was broadcast on the national television network France 2, and a sold-out concert at Berlin’s Philharmonie, before going on to perform at many other prestigious venues throughout Europe. His playing has been described as “particularly impressive” (International Piano Magazine), while the UK Daily Telegraph portrays his artistry as boasting “stunning and real strength.”

As a composer Egerton-Smith has written scores for the BBC, Channel 4, films, documentaries, and trailers for major motion pictures.

Upcoming performances include appearances with the Orchestra of St John’s where he is currently Artist in Residence, the Bristol Classical Players, and a return to Carnegie Hall.

Flute

Praised for a rich and melodious sound, flautist Silvia Schiaffino continues to delight audiences with a talent that has been described as “breathing life into every measure of the music.”

With an active performance schedule that has taken her not only throughout Europe, including appearances in Milan, Bergamo, Varese, and Monte Carlo, she often performs concerts with guitarists Renato Procopio and Federico Briasco as part of a trio. She has also taught and adjudicated competitions in South America for the Conservatorio Nacional di Lima as part their Festival Internacional de la Flauta, and appeared with Maestro Giancarlo Monterosso of the Camerata Giovanile della Svizzera Italiana.

Recent appearances include performances at Sala Dante Alighieri; Sala della Stella Maris, Associazione Rossini in Savona; the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa; the Associazione Jean Sibelius in Rapallo; and Museo della Ceramica Manlio Trucco. Upcoming engagements include performances at Tuscany’s Campiglia Marittima, as well as Casa Verdi in Milan, and Carnegie Hall this coming November.

Piano

We continue to support Ms. Shelest, and her collaborations with husband Dmitri as part of the Shelest Piano Duo. Their performances of four-hand repertoire continue to put them at the forefront of world’s most prominent artists, and created three CDs for Sorel Classics.