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Boris Wala <\/b>is a collaborative pianist and piano teacher hailing from Edmonton, Alberta. He developed a deep passion for the instrument in his teenage years under the guidance of Dessislava Gavrailova. Boris holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta, where he studied piano with Patricia Tao and Viktoria Reiswich-Dapp. During his undergraduate studies, he discovered a love for chamber music and collaboration, working closely with mentors including violinist Guillaume Tardif, cellist Rafael Hoekman, and collaborative pianist Shannon Hiebert.<\/p>\n
In 2025, Boris completed a Master of Arts in Vocal Chamber Music and Accompaniment at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. There, he refined his skills in collaborative piano under Helin Kapten and Toomas Kaldaru, studied solo piano with Marko Martin, and received chamber music coaching from Natalia Sakkos and Maksim \u0160t\u0161ura.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Boris has participated in several international young artist programs. In 2023, he joined NUOVA Vocal Arts, where he assisted in a production of Mansfield Park by Jonathan Dove, under the musical direction of Kinza Tyrell and stage direction of Brian Deedrick, and worked with coaches Michael McMahon and Kathleen Gable. The following year, he was a repetiteur at La Musica Lirica<\/i> in Novafeltria, Italy, where he assisted in a performance of Puccini\u2019s Suor Angelica<\/i> led by musical director Sara Chiesa and stage director Robert Breault. He plans to return to the program in 2026 for their production of Mozart\u2019s Cos\u00ec fan tutte<\/i>.<\/p>\n As a performer, Boris has appeared in both solo and collaborative recitals and masterclasses. He is experienced working with singers at all levels\u2014from students to professionals\u2014and is equally at home with opera and art song repertoire. As a chamber musician, he particularly enjoys collaborating with string players. His graduate trio, alongside violinist Mia Kurvits and cellist K\u00e4rt Rannik, performed works by Beethoven, Dvo\u0159\u00e1k, Shostakovich, and Piazzolla in recital, masterclass, and competition settings.<\/p>\n Boris is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including the Harry Farmer Scholarship in Music Performance, the Beryl Barns Memorial Undergraduate Award, the Aleksander Matejko Memorial Prize, the Mary Stinson Prize in Piano Accompaniment, and merit-based stipends from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.<\/p>\n