Music Club of Kingsville

February 14, 2012

Born in Omsk, Russian Federation, Oleg earned a Master’s Degree in performance on violin and viola from the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Conservatory. He was the principal violinist of the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and served as Associate concertmaster of the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra. In 1988, he immigrated to the USA and served as the principal violinist of the second violin section with the Savannah Symphony Orchestra until 2003.

Dr. Proskurnya studied conducting under Professor Ilia Musin from 1994 to 1999. He conducted the Petrozavodsk Symphony Orchestra, RF, and assisted Professor Musin at the International Conducting Workshop, St. Petersburg, RF. He also served as the assistant conductor for the Symphony Orchestra of the University of South Carolina, where he earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting. In 1997, Oleg founded the International Academy of Advanced Conducting. In 1998, he again assisted Ilia Musin working with the International Conducting Workshop.

From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Proskurnya served as music director of the Sochi Symphony Orchestra, Russia, and since 2002 has served as a guest conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society Symphony Orchestra. He was adjunct professor of Georgia College and State University, guest faculty member at Valdosta State University, and concertmaster of the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Proskurnya has taught master classes in the United States, Italy, Spain, Russian Federation, and Taiwan. He has performed throughout Canada, Greece, Finland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Russian Federation, and the United States as a guest conductor, violist, and violinist. From 2006 to 2011, Dr. Proskurnya served as an Assistant Professor of Music and the Director of Orchestras at Beloit College.

In the fall of 2011, Dr. Proskurnya joined the Texas A&M University - Kingsville Department of Music and became the Music Director of the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra.