Konstantin

I am Konstantin Novgorodsky, a composer, arranger, pianist, and music educator currently studying composition at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. My musical education began at the Gnessin Special Music School in Moscow, where I studied piano, and continued at the Gnessin Music College, where I studied sound engineering and arranging under Andrey Zubets. My background combines classical musical training with extensive practical experience in composition, orchestration, arranging, and music production.

As a professional composer and arranger, I have worked on feature films, animation, theatre productions, and musical theatre projects. My credits include the feature film Seven Versts Before Dawn, for which I was one of three composers, as well as music for three theatrical productions staged in Adygea and Veliky Novgorod, Russia. I am also involved in musical theatre projects, working on composition, songwriting, orchestration, and arrangements. My compositions have received international recognition, including First Prize at the 2024 Yuri Kholopov International Composition Competition, First Prize at Classical Music Stars, and a Bronze Award at the 2023 Machang Animation Festival.

I have approximately eight years of teaching experience, working with students of different ages and musical backgrounds. Since 2024, I have taught harmony and solfège at the Gnessin School in Moscow. Alongside my institutional teaching, I provide individual lessons in piano, composition, music theory, ear training, and arranging, including online instruction. My approach combines rigorous classical training with practical creative work, helping students develop their musical understanding, technical abilities, and independence. Whether a student is studying classical repertoire, writing their first composition, or exploring music for film, theatre, or games, I aim to provide the knowledge and practical tools necessary to develop their own musical voice.

My main goal as a teacher is to keep music alive. Theory, ear training, harmony, and exercises are important, but I never want them to become a collection of abstract rules to memorize. I try to show students why these principles exist, how they can actually be heard in music, and how they can be used in practice.

I believe that understanding a principle once is much more valuable than memorizing a thousand isolated facts. For this reason, I usually avoid giving students the answer immediately. Instead, I ask questions, give hints, and help them find the solution themselves. I want students to understand not only whether something is right or wrong, but why.

One of my most important goals is independence. After several months of lessons, I want a student to understand their own strengths and weaknesses, recognize what needs improvement, and know how to work on it without always needing a teacher beside them. This is especially important in ear training: I teach students not only to complete exercises, but also how to identify the reason for a mistake and how to practice effectively on their own.

Lessons are adapted to each student’s level and goals. I work with both beginners and more experienced musicians, and I provide exercises, scores, assignments, and other materials when appropriate. I do give homework and expect serious work when a student has serious goals, but the amount and type of work always depend on the individual student.

Having absolute pitch also allows me to hear very small inaccuracies immediately — from incorrect notes and intonation to details of harmony — and use them as material for further learning rather than simply pointing out mistakes.

For online lessons, I work through Zoom with screen sharing and direct high-quality audio from my DAW when needed. This allows us to work with scores, recordings, harmony, ear-training exercises, composition projects, and musical examples in real time.

Above all, I want students to remain curious. Music contains far more interesting connections than can be covered by simply following a textbook, and I enjoy discovering these connections together with my students.