“Tatiana Tchekina spent much of her time nurturing, guiding and inspiring young musicians, her students at the Eastman School of Music,” write Sean Dobbin, Chad Roberts, and Victoria Freile in Sunday’s (12/8) Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester, New York). “Tchekina, 69, of Rochester died early Saturday morning after her sport utility vehicle was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 490 in Gates. Tchekina’s husband, Oleh Krysa, was a passenger in the SUV and suffered minor injuries…. Tchekina was an assistant professor of accompanying at the Eastman School of Music, while Krysa is a professor of violin at the school.… Tchekina was born in Moscow to a family of singers and had performed as a pianist all over the world with her husband since 1967. The couple also recorded more than 20 albums together…. ‘She was loved by the students,’ said James VanDemark, co-chair of the strings, harp and guitar department at the Eastman School of Music. … ‘Many times, she would have music in front of her, but she never seemed to need it,’ said VanDemark. ‘Most everything she had from memory. It was quite remarkable.’ ”
Posted December 10, 2013
