A native of Voronezh, Russia, pianist Alyona A. Waldo has pursued an accomplished and versatile career as a chamber musician, collaborative pianist, and educator. Recent engagements include faculty artist at the Clazz International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, concert soloist with the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra, and collaborative pianist for faculty and student recitals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music.

Alyona has performed across the U.S., Europe, and Asia as a member of the cello/piano team A.W.Duo. As a chamber musician, performance highlights include Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, performances with cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio at the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, and New York City venues including Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Polish, Russian and French Consulates, and Lincoln Center.

Alyona was pianist of the Listen Closely chamber music initiative, presenting concerts of historical and newly-commissioned works for the people of uptown Manhattan. In Russia, Alyona was winner of the Gavrilin Governor's International Competition, the finalist of the International Gnessin Piano Competition in Moscow, and concert soloist with the Voronezh Academic Symphony Orchestra. Other notable positions include staff pianist for the La Lingua Della Lirica Festival in Novafeltria, Italy; faculty of the International Piano Festival in Portland, ME; and staff pianist for Mannes Preparatory Division.

She received her Master of Music degree from Mannes College, the New School for Music (NYC), under the tutelage of Vladimir Feltsman and Pavlina Dokovska. Now living in Madison, WI, Alyona is active as a collaborative pianist and music educator.