Refugee to World-renowned conductor

CBS6 News

Albany, NY

When Lidiya Yankovskaya's family moved to the Capital Region, she was just a young girl and barely spoke a word of English. Refugees from Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, they relocated from St. Petersburg to Guilderland where some family members already lived.

"It was a very difficult time in Russia." Yankovskaya says. "Everything was falling apart and there was also a great deal of anti-Semitism and my family is Jewish."

Today, 38-year-old Yankovskaya returned to the Capital Region to guest conduct the Albany Symphony Orchestra at Proctors' Theater. She's internationally known with 40 world premiers including 17 operas. An impressive career that all began at Guilderland High School.