Vessela (Vessy) Smith, previously Vessela Gintcheva, was born in Bulgaria. She started formal piano lessons at the age of 4. Vessy attended the National School for The Arts “Dobri Hristov” in Varna, Bulgaria from 1987 until 1996, when she graduated from High School. The year before her graduation, she won 1st place in the National Piano Competition “Dimitar Nenov” in Razgrad, Bulgaria, and was featured on national television.
In 1996, Vessy came to the United States on a full scholarship to study piano with renowned Portuguese pianist Sequeira Costa at the University of Kansas. During this time, she received numerous recognitions and awards, including winning 6th prize at the international piano competition “Vianna da Motta” in Macau, China. During the final stage of the competition, Vessy soloed with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1, one of her most beloved pieces.
In 2000, after receiving her Bachelor’s of Music degree from the University of Kansas, Vessy moved to Houston, TX to pursue a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at Rice University, where she was offered a full scholarship. At Rice University, she studied with acclaimed piano teacher Robert Roux from 2000 until 2003. This is when she received the prestigious Presser National Award for Music, which led to performances in Paris, France, Prague, Czech Republic, and her native Varna, Bulgaria.
Vessy has been teaching piano for over 15 years. During this time, she has worked with students of all ages and skill levels. Several of her students have won top prizes in piano competitions, and gone on to pursue careers as professional musicians. Vessy and her husband Cameron Smith recently moved to Sugar Land, Texas with their two children, and formed Sugar Land Piano Studio.
Education
- Master of Music in Piano Performance—Rice University, May 2003
- Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance—University of Kansas, May 2000
Awards & Scholarships
- Presser National Award for Music, 2001
- Rice University Full Tuition Scholarship and Stipend, 2000–2003
- 6th Prize, International Piano Competition “Vianna da Motta”—Macau, China, 1999
- University of Kansas Women’s Club Achievement Stipend, 1997
- University of Kansas Piano Division Full Scholarship, 1996–2000
- 1st Prize, National Piano Competition “Dimitar Nenov”—Razgrad, Bulgaria, 1995
- 2nd Prize, International Piano Competition “Jeunesses Musicales”—Bucharest, Romania, 1994
Teaching Experience
- Piano Teaching Assistant at Rice University—Houston, TX, 2000-2003
- Piano Instructor for Michael Hammond Preparatory Program at Rice University—Houston, TX, 2000-2004
- Class Piano Instructor and Teaching Assistant at the University of Houston—2004-2005
- Private Piano Instructor—1996-Present
Interesting Facts About Vessy
- While Vessy is a professional musician/pianist first, she is also a registered nurse, and formerly worked at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in the Heart Transplant Intensive Care Unit.
- Vessy is a certified Basic Life Support (BLS), and a certified Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) provider.
- Vessy also enjoys skiing, and especially loves traveling to interesting places throughout the world and photographing nature, local culture, and art.