Adjunct Professor
Department of Culture, Media, and Performance
Yana was born in Dzerjinsk, Russia, and started playing piano when she was 5 years old. She finished Scriabin Music School with honors in 1992. In 1996 she completed, with honors, her bachelor's degree in piano performance from Balakirev Music College in Nizhny Novgorod. She completed her master's degree in 2001 from the Glinka Conservatory in Nizhny Novgorod with highest honors. In 2001 Yana attended the Berklee College of Music five-week Performance Program as a jazz vocalist. She was awarded a performance grant to attend the Berklee College of Music 12-week Performance Program during the summer of 2002. In 2015 Yana completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at West Virginia University.
In January 2002, Yana organized "Jazz Vocal Studio of Yana Tyulkova" (JVS). She recorded three CDs, the last of which was "From Nizhny to Pittsburgh/A Journey in Real Time" with Curtis Johnson.
She became the Laureate of International Jazz Vocal Competition (Paneveshis, Lithuania 2002), the Winner of International Jazz Vocal Competition "Jazz Voices" (Klaipeda, Lithuania 2006), and the Winner of the International Jazz Vocal Competition "Finsterwalde Sunger" (Germany 2006).
She attended educational programs in Italy (Umbria Jazz Clinics 2006), in Poland (15th
International Summer Jazz Academy in Krakow 2007), and Czech Republic (Prague 2009).
In January 2005, Yana became a member of International Association of Schools of Jazz
(IASJ) in Holland. In 2009 Yana was named a member of "Who's Who in Russia", Ralph
Hubner Edition, (2008) and became a member of "Encyclopedia of World Jazz Music",
Vladimir Feiertag, St. Petersburg (2008).
In February 2015 Nikolai Kapustin composed "Curiosity" (Op.157) and dedicated it to
Dr. Tyulkova. In June 2015 Yana premiered this piece in the festival "The Intersection
of Classical and Jazz" at West Virginia University. In July 2015 Yana participated
in European Tour with "James Miltenberger Jazz Quintet" as a jazz singer and a classical
pianist. A series of concerts took place in Belgium, Netherland, and Germany.
Yana is currently writing a biography on the life of Nikolai Kapustin.
Yana has toured in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, and the United States.
- B.A.: Balakirev Music College
- M.A.: Glinka Conservatory
- D.M.A. Piano Performance: West Virginia University