Natalia Strelchenko: Top Concert Pianist Brutally Murdered In Her Home

Natalia Strelchenko, a world-renowned Norwegian pianist of Russian origin, was found murdered in her home, and her brutal death came as a shock to the music community. Police have arrested a 48-year-old man as the main suspect in the crime, a report from the Independent revealed. Authorities say Strelchenko’s partner, John Martin, is responsible for her death. Martin is also charged with the attempted murder of an unnamed boy.

The family of the 38-year-old famed pianist is devastated by her death and they released a statement regarding her untimely passing.

“Natalia was a talented, beautiful, much loved mother, daughter, sister and friend. She will be greatly missed.”

According to the Daily Mail, Strelchenko’s body had serious head and neck injuries. The postmortem examination of her body revealed that she died from injuries sustained in her neck and head. Emergency personnel unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate her at the crime scene.

Natalia Strelchenko — who was also known as Natalia Strelle — had been a significant voice in the Norwegian music scene for several years. Strelchenko’s piano style was often described as very personal and unorthodox, and she managed to convey her great sensitivity mixed with a fascinating technique. Thanks to her unique style, she grew her international profile and made a name for herself in the world of piano instrumentalists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhLNu7GN_xI

Strelchenko has played in some of the most famous concert halls in the world, such as the Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Berlin’s Dom Franzosische. According to the Guardian, she was due to play several concerts later this year, including at venues in Norway, France, and the UK. She also worked as an artistic director at the Menestrelles International Chamber Music Academy.

There are few musicians who have been affiliated with the piano world during the past 15 years that did not know who she was — the small, dark-haired pianist with the weird clothes and the penetrating gaze. Anthony Holden, an English writer, broadcaster, and criticknown as a biographer of artists, wrote the following passage about Strelchenko.

“Her passionate sensibility combined with formidable technique to produce passages of great poise and beauty, enhanced by her charming stage manner – a mixture of coquettish, conspiratorial eye-contact with the front few rows, unorthodox air-punching at the end of significant sections and head-rolls towards the ceiling in truly transcendental style.”

[Image via YouTube]