Polina Gubnitskaia is a classical pianist based in Montreal, QC. She was born in Moscow, Russia and completed her training at the University of Montréal under the guidance of Professor Jimmy Brière. She has recently completed a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano under professor Michael McMahon at McGill University in Montréal, Québec. Polina released her first recording project, featuring solo piano works and art songs by her favorite composer, Robert Schumann, in the spring of 2018. The recording features a collaboration with soprano Kimberley Lynch and was broadcast on Montreal’s Radio Classique radio station as part of the program, La Plage Musicale. Following the release of this album, she was invited to present a virtual concert along with soprano and duo-partner Kimberley Lynch at the Maison de la Culture Pointe-aux-Trembles. The program featured works by Strauss, Schumann, and Liszt-Wagner, and was entitled, Le Poète Parle, a reference to the final movement of Schumann’s Op. 15 Kinderszenen. In the fall of 2021, Polina had the pleasure of taking part in a multi-disciplinary residency and concert premiere led by flautist Marie-Noëlle Choquette at the Théâtre du Marais de Val-Morin in the Laurentian region of Québec. The concert, entitled Dialogues Nocturnes, featured a collaboration between local theatre actors and centered on Québecois poetry paired with music by prominent 20th-century composers. Other notable projects include performances of Duo Lynch/Gubnitskaia’s program, Ombre et Lumière at the Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic and the Maison Musicale Warwick and a Research and Creation Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to commission and record a piece from composer and Juno Award-nominee, Jaap Nico Hamburger. In the summers, Polina works as a teacher, accompanist, and vocal coach at the Camp Musical Père-Lindsay and the Atelier d’Art Lyrique and Atelier d’Opéra at Camp Musical Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. She has also recently begun exploring the field of cultural mediation as a pianist for the Opéra de Montréal’s outreach initiatives. Polina’s varied musical interests allow her to enjoy a wide range of professional experiences while building an eclectic body of solo and collaborative répertoire.