Dr. Irena Kofman

Dr. Irena Kofman, Director of Keyboard Studies
DMA, University of Miami
Associate Professor

Areas of Expertise:
Piano
Pedagogy
Chamber Music

Email: ikofman@fau.edu
Office Phone: 561.297.3820
Office: AL 250

The renowned Russian-American pianist has performed around the world to rave reviews as a solo artist and in collaboration with prominent musicians. She is also an award-winning teacher with many of her former piano students attaining great success in their own right as performers and educators throughout the Americas, in the Former Soviet Union, and across Europe.

Dr. Kofman holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Miami, where she studied under Dr. Rosalina Sackstein, a pupil of the legendary Claudio Arrau. She has critically acclaimed recordings on Wisdom Recordings, Loconto Production, and Talent Records. Among other honors, Dr. Kofman was personally chosen by the Dalai Lama to play at his “Compassion as a Pillar of World Peace” presentation and also performed at TEDxBocaRaton.

Early in her career, Dr. Kofman founded the Arcangelo Piano Quartet, a distinguished American chamber ensemble that performed across the United States and internationally. She also formed a duo with the eminent Belgian pianist André De Groote. Their three recorded albums received critical acclaim, with international critic Philip R. Buttall calling their recording of Theodore Gouvy compositions “absolutely first-rate.” Dr. Kofman continues to collaborate with other outstanding musicians such as Japanese violinist Junko Outsu, Israeli violist Zvi Carmeli, and Swiss cellist Alexander Kaganovsky.

As a teacher, Dr. Kofman is sought out by students aspiring to play at the highest levels. She has taught master classes and lectured at Florida State University’s Piano Symposium, the prestigious Salzburg Summer Program in Austria, the International Concerto Festival in Russia, the World Piano Conference in Slovenia, and at the Cremona International Music Academy in Italy. She currently serves as a distinguished piano faculty member at Cremona Music International Academy in Italy and holds the position of Director of Keyboard Studies at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, USA.

Dr. Kofman’s recent distinguished awards include a gold medal from the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Diaspora in 2019, the Faculty Fellowship Program to Israel in 2020, a US Fulbright Senior Scholar Award in Taiwan in 2022, and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Florida State Music Teachers Association in 2023. In addition, she received a Diploma of Recognition from the American Protégé International Competition in four consecutive years for “extraordinary dedication and achievement in the field of teaching music and presenting students to perform at Carnegie Hall.”