Valerii Mykhailovych Sahaidachnyi (*25 May 1939, Kharkiv - † 6 August 2009, Athens) was a Ukrainian pianist and teacher, professor, Honoured Artist of Ukraine.
From his life story
His father was Greek by nationality, surnamed Karakurchi. He graduated from the Lysenko Specialised Music School, and in 1963 from the Kyiv Conservatoire, class of Vladimir Nielsen.
From 1963 to 1993, he worked as a teacher at the Kyiv Conservatory - with interruptions - for two years in Donetsk, and for 3 years in Damascus. He taught at the Department of Special Piano No. 1.
He masterfully performed and interpreted Chopin's works.
Students and tours
Among his students are Vadym Hladkov, Severina Zhuk-Zhukova, Marina Lomazova, Svitlana Smykovska, Milana Cherniavska, Natalia Chesnokova, Inna Nabitovych, and Jose Hernandez.
He toured Greece, Spain, Canada, Germany, Poland, the USA, and Ukraine.
In 1993, he moved to Greece, his father's historical homeland, where he continued to teach and pursue a performing career. He is a professor at the Athens Conservatory.
In 1999, he was a member of the jury of the First International Competition for Young Pianists in the homeland of Sergei Prokofiev.
His name is listed in the "2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century".
