Mikhail Pletnev
Mikhail Pletnev is widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of our time — an artist whose interpretations combine technical brilliance, intellectual depth, and poetic insight. Born in 1957, he entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1974 at the age of 17, and by 21 had earned international acclaim as the winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition.
Pletnev's discography is both extensive and celebrated. His recordings have received numerous international awards, including the Diapason d’Or, ECHO Klassik, Choc du Monde de la Musique, and a Gramophone Award. His interpretation of Scarlatti's sonatas was hailed by BBC Music Magazine as “piano playing at its greatest... this performance alone would be enough to secure Pletnev a place among the greatest pianists ever known.” The New Yorker selected his complete Beethoven symphonies and concertos as one of the “Best Recordings of 2007.”
His Grammy Award in 2005 for his own arrangement of Prokofiev’s Cinderella highlights his distinctive voice not only as a performer but also as a musical thinker. Grammy nominations for his Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes and Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev concertos further underscore his versatility and authority across a wide repertoire.
Pletnev’s artistry continues to captivate audiences worldwide, with critics regularly noting the individuality and depth of his interpretations. The Guardian described his playing as “extraordinary: refined, searching, and utterly compelling.” According to The Telegraph, “his performances are never routine; there is always a sense of discovery, of music being rethought and reborn.”
He collaborates regularly with leading orchestras across Europe, Asia, and North America, and is a frequent guest at major international festivals such as the BBC Proms, Schleswig-Holstein, Verbier, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Rheingau. A committed artistic collaborator, Pletnev continues to shape innovative cross-cultural projects and explore new forms of musical dialogue on the global stage — combining performance, conducting, and artistic direction.
Also a distinguished composer, Pletnev has written extensively for orchestra, solo instruments, and voice. His arrangements for piano of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty have become benchmarks of pianistic virtuosity, studied and performed by leading pianists around the world.
Pianist, conductor, composer — Pletnev’s contributions to music are profound, and yet, with characteristic modesty, he prefers to define himself in the simplest terms: “I am,” he says, “just a musician.”
Concert program
1 part
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
The Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 874
Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 861
Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 884
Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16
2 part
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
Lyric Pieces
Book I, Op. 12
No. 8 – Fedrelandssang (National Song)
Book II, Op. 38
No. 1 – Berceuse (Cradle Song)
No. 3 – Melodie
No. 6 – Elegie
Book III, Op. 43
No. 1 – Sommerfugl (Butterfly)
No. 2 – Ensom vandrer (Solitary Wanderer)
No. 4 – Småfugl (Little Bird)
Book IV, Op. 47
No. 1 – Valse-Impromptu
Book V, Op. 54
No. 4 – Notturno
No. 5 – Scherzo
Book VI, Op. 57
No. 1 – Svunne dager (Vanished Days)
No. 6 – Hjemve (Nostalgia)
Book VII, Op. 62
No. 4 – Bækken (Brooklet)
Book IX, Op. 68
No. 2 – Bestemors menuett (Grandmother’s Minuet)
Book X, Op. 71
No. 2 – Sommeraften (Summer Evening)
No. 3 – Småtrold (Puck)
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