One of the leading harpists in Russia and a successor to the best traditions of V. G. Dulova’s harp school.
She graduated from the Gnesin Moscow Special School of Music in the class of M. A. Rubin, from the Gnesin State Musical and Pedagogical Institute in the class of K. K. Saradzheva and from postgraduate studies at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of V. G. Dulova.
N. Shameyeva is a laureate of All‑Union and international competitions and was for more than 30 years a soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra.
She is currently Professor at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, and among her students are laureates of Russian and international competitions. She also teaches at the Gnesin Music College. N. Shameyeva’s teaching career began at the Moscow Conservatory, where for three years she served as assistant to People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor V. G. Dulova, and then for eight years she taught at the Gnesin Moscow Special School of Music.
Since 1985 she has taught at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music and has received letters of appreciation for training laureates of Russian and international competitions.
She holds the degree of Candidate of Art Criticism and is the author of the book «The History of the Development of Russian Harp Music (Twentieth Century)» (Moscow, 1994; Bloomington, USA, 1997, in English).
Natalia Shameyeva maintains an active performing career in Russia and abroad and has recorded several CDs, including a triple album released in 2014 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of her artistic career.
She gives masterclasses in Russia and abroad and serves on the juries of Russian and international competitions. For almost 20 years she represented Russia at the World Harp Congress, where she repeatedly appeared with solo recitals, masterclasses and lectures, and since 2012 she has been a member of the corporation of the World Harp Congress.
N. Shameyeva is a board member of the Russian Harp Society, re‑established in 2004 as an association of harpists, composers and all those interested in the art of the harp. She is an organiser and participant of the annual festival «Harp Art of Russia», whose aim is to support talented young musicians, promote the music of Russian composers and foster the development of concert performance.
In 2009 the Moscow Composers’ Union awarded N. Shameyeva a Gold Medal for her outstanding contribution to the promotion of Russian music and her participation in the annual international festival «Moscow Autumn».
In 2009 N. Shameyeva chaired the organising committee of the Second Moscow International Harp Competition (Tsaritsyno Museum‑Reserve). In 2013 she acted as editor and contributor to the second edition of V. G. Dulova’s book «The Art of Harp Playing» (Moscow, «Nobel‑Press»; Edinburgh, Lennex Corporation). In 2015 she compiled, edited and published the collection «Works by Russian Composers for Harp» and the two‑volume collection «Composers of the Russian Harp Society for Children» (general editorial supervision), Kompozitor Publishing House.
In 2021 N. Kh. Shameyeva compiled and edited three volumes of «Works for Harp» in the series «From the Library of Vera Gergievna Dulova» (Muzyka Publishers): the first volume «Works for Solo Harp», the second «Etudes» and the third «Ensembles».
In 2013 she completed professional development courses (certificate registration number 2229).
N. Kh. Shameyeva is the author of numerous articles on harpists in the Great Russian Encyclopedia. Her invaluable contribution to the preservation and development of the Russian harp school includes books dedicated to outstanding musicians: «Maria Korchinskaya. From the History of Harp Art» (2021) and «Vera Dulova. Memoirs. Articles. Documents» (Chelovek Publishers).
