Privacy Policy

Who we are

This website is operated by Valentina Seferinova ("I", "me", or "my"), an international concert pianist, recording artist, and educator. I am the data controller for the personal data collected through this website.

If you have any questions about how I handle your personal information, please get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

What information I collect

Information you give me directly

When you use the contact form on this website, I collect the information you choose to submit, which typically includes:

• Your name
• Your email address
• The content of your message

I only collect what you voluntarily provide. You are not required to submit any information to browse this website.

Information collected automatically

When you visit this website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by the hosting provider or analytics tools. This can include:

• Your IP address
• Browser type and version
• The pages you visit and how long you spend on them
• The website or link that referred you here
• The date and time of your visit

This information is collected through the hosting provider.

Cookies

This website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device when you visit. Cookies help the site function properly and may also be used to understand how visitors use the site.

The types of cookies this site may use include:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic site functionality (e.g. security, session handling). These are set by WordPress and the hosting provider.
• Analytics cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with the site. [Confirm whether Google Analytics or similar is active — if so, name it here.]
• Third-party cookies: Set by embedded services such as YouTube videos, Facebook, or Instagram. These are governed by those platforms' own privacy policies (see below).

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling cookies may affect how some parts of the site work.

For detailed information about the specific cookies in use on this site, please see [link to cookie details / cookie consent tool, if applicable].

How I use your information

I use the information collected in the following ways:

• To respond to your enquiry: When you contact me via the contact form, I use your name and email address to reply to your message.
• To understand site usage: Anonymised or aggregated technical data may be used to improve the website's performance and content.
• To comply with legal obligations: In some cases I may be required to retain or share information to comply with the law.

I do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling, and I do not sell or rent your information to any third party.

Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, I rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:

• Legitimate interests: For processing contact form enquiries and communicating with you in response to a message you initiated. I have assessed that this interest is not overridden by your privacy rights.
• Legal obligation: Where I am required by law to retain certain records.
• Consent: Where cookies or analytics tools require your consent, I will ask for it. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Third-party services

This website uses a number of third-party services that may process personal data independently of me. Please review their own privacy policies for full details.

YouTube

Some pages on this site may embed videos hosted on YouTube (operated by Google LLC). When you watch or interact with an embedded YouTube video, YouTube may collect information about you, including setting cookies on your device. This happens even if you do not have a YouTube account.

YouTube's privacy policy is available at:  https://policies.google.com/privacy 

Facebook and Instagram

This website links to profiles on Facebook and Instagram (both operated by Meta Platforms, Inc.). Visiting those links takes you to Meta's platforms, where their own data practices apply. If social sharing buttons or embedded Meta content are present on this site, Meta may collect data about your visit.

Meta's privacy policy is available at:  https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy 

Google services

This website is hosted on a platform that may use Google services, and [Google Analytics / Google Fonts / other Google service — confirm what applies] may be in use. If Google Analytics is active, it collects anonymised usage data and stores it on Google's servers in accordance with Google's privacy policy.

Google's privacy policy is available at:  https://policies.google.com/privacy 

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking using the  Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on .

WordPress and hosting

This website is built on WordPress. WordPress and the hosting provider may collect technical data such as server logs and IP addresses as part of operating and securing the site.

How long I keep your data

• Contact form messages: I retain the content of enquiries for as long as is reasonably necessary to respond and follow up, and for up to [e.g. 2 years] thereafter, unless you ask me to delete it sooner.
• Technical/analytics data: Data collected automatically through the hosting provider or analytics tools is typically retained for [confirm retention period — e.g. 26 months for Google Analytics standard retention, or per hosting provider logs].
• I do not retain personal data longer than necessary, and I will delete it when the purpose for which it was collected has been fulfilled.

Your rights under GDPR

If you are based in the UK or European Union, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: You can ask me to confirm whether I hold personal data about you, and to receive a copy of it.
• Right to rectification: You can ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: You can ask me to delete your personal data, subject to any legal obligations I may have to retain it.
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask me to limit how I use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you can request a machine-readable copy of your data.
• Right to object: You can object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where I rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below. I will respond within one month. You also have the right to make a complaint to the  Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)  in the UK, or to the relevant supervisory authority in your country of residence.

Data security

I take reasonable steps to protect personal data against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access. This website uses HTTPS encryption to protect data in transit. Access to contact form submissions is limited to me personally.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and I cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have concerns about a specific security issue, please contact me directly.

Links to other websites

This website contains links to external sites, including social media profiles on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. This Privacy Policy applies only to this website. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites and encourage you to read their policies before sharing personal information with them.

Changes to this policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or how the site operates. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date at the top. I encourage you to check back periodically.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact:

Valentina Seferinova
Email: vs@valentinaseferinova.com

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Updated September 2026.