BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) student Kseniia Polstiankina won the Young Artist Performance Competition at the state Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition at Birmingham-Southern College Saturday, Oct. 24. Polstiankina competed against the best piano students from Samford University, the University of Alabama, Auburn University and others.

Polstiankina, a junior music major, is a student of UAB Associate Professor of Piano Yakov Kasman, D.M.A. She is the daughter of Irina Polstiankina and Sergei Polstiankin of Kiev, Ukraine. Earlier this year, Polstiankina represented the MTNA Southern Division as a national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Piano Competition, held in Atlanta.

Polstiankina will represent Alabama at the MTNA Southern Division Auditions in January 2010.

About the UAB Department of Music

UAB is the first all-Steinway piano school in Alabama. The UAB Department of Music presents more than 150 concerts, recitals, master classes, and lectures each year - many of them free - for more than 400,000 people throughout the region. The department features 17 ensembles, including the UAB Marching Blazers, Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, Blazer Band, Computer Music Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Electro-Acoustic Percussion Ensemble, Gospel Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Piano Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Opera, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, Woodwind Quintet, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo.