By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer
North Chapel’s first Chamber Music Concert Series performance of the 2025 season will be held this Sunday, April 13, with guest pianist Visha Nguyen playing an ensemble of Tchaikovsky’s concertos in the sanctuary.
Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Nguyen, at the age of fourteen, left home to continue her musical education in Moscow. In 2019, having completed her doctorate in art history and working as a piano teacher at the Moscow Conservatory in Russia, Nguyen became a very successful performing artist. She played in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, as well as Moscow’s Rachmaninov Small Hall, Mariinsky’s Theater, and Vyatka’s Philharmonic Hall. She also spent a number of years touring and performing around the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Vietnam. 
Thanks to David Green, organizer of the Chamber Music Series, Nguyen is performing a special concert here in Woodstock. Green leaned on his connections to renowned pianist Victor Rosenbaum and the New England Conservatory to help bring Nguyen to Vermont.
This talented pianist has not only traveled the world performing but also participated in four major international piano competitions, winning first prize in the Rubinstein International Competition in 2008 and the Russian Conservatory Competition the following year. Green told The Standard, “I’ve never heard her play personally, but anyone who can win first prize in the Rubenstein contest is sure to be an exceptional performer. I can tell without hearing a single note, just based on where she has studied and performed, that she is a truly gifted musician.”
Nguyen is married to the world-famous pianist Mikhail Voskresensky. They met at the Moscow Conservatory, where he served as chairman of the piano faculty. Due to the war in Ukraine, Nguyen and her family relocated to America in 2022.
Once settled, Nguyen continued performing in solo recitals and in joint performances with her husband. “It is my understanding,” Green said, “That her concentration for the last decade or so has been solely on Bach. The fact that she will be performing Tchaikovsky for the people of Woodstock is a real treat.”
Nguyen’s attitude and lifelong commitment to the arts is exactly what Green is trying to bring to our local community. He told the Standard, “I want to give the people of Woodstock the opportunity to hear extremely high-quality live performances. Music can be transcendent, and to hear someone play live — you just pick up on so many tones and nuances lost in recordings. It’s a very special event, part of a greater series we hope to continue for years to come.”
Nguyen’s performance will begin on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the sanctuary of North Chapel. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. There will be a reception after the concert in the social hall of North Chapel.