KONSTANTIN SCHERBAKOV

“one of the most capable, daring and interesting musicians of these days.” — (Peter Cossé)

With the recent release of the complete concerto works by Tchaikovsky, Konstantin Scherbakov’s endless repertoire accomplishments continue to amaze. A very special repertoire choice has formed the artist’s profile with the accent on rarely performed and highly demanding virtuoso programs, often comprising of works that were considered unplayable before. In co-operation with the Naxos and Marco Polo labels, Scherbakov has realized some of today’s unique and most significant recording projects, including complete piano works by Leopold Godowsky, Respighi and Shostakovich, and complete piano concertos by Tchaikovsky, Respighi, Medtner and Scriabin. The most recent and highly acclaimed recording project was The Complete Beethoven Symphonies in piano arrangement by F. Liszt.

Many of these projects have found their way onto the concert stage. For his cycle of the Rachmaninov’s complete piano works, Scherbakov was called ‘Rachmaninov of Today’ (Lucerne Music Festival). The two-evening performance of the complete Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich at different venues, notably at the Salzburg Festival was enthusiastically met by both public and press (‘One cannot play Shostakovich any better!’ (Die Presse, Vienna). Lately, Scherbakov has received international acclaim for his performances of Liszt’s transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies.

Konstantin Scherbakov has given solo performances in 35 countries in Europe, the Far and Middle East, the USA, New Zealand and South Africa. He has played in prestigious concert halls such as the Philharmony of Cologne, Wigmore Hall London, Herkulessaal, Philharmonie and Prinzregententheater Munich, Tonhalle Zurich, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire, Beethovenhalle Bonn, new Congress-Hall Luzern, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikhalle Hamburg, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Berlin, Rudolfinum Prague, Atheneum Bucharest, Casal Hall Tokyo, Victoria Hall Singapore, Gewandhaus Leipzig and Konzerthaus Vienna, among others. Scherbakov was one of the first artists signed by EMI Classics for their Debut-Series. In 1995 he became a ‘BBC International Artist’.

Konstantin Scherbakov has been a guest at important international music festivals such as Salzburg, Frankfurt, Bregenz, Bodensee, Lucerne, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Bad Kissingen, Schubertiade Feldkirch and Schwarzenberg, Singapore Piano Festival, Piano Rarities Husum, Beethoven Festival Krakau and Warsaw, Lebanon Music Festival, ‘Primavera concertistica’ Lugano, Evian, Colmar, Liszt Festivals in Raiding and Weimar, Piano Festival Lucerne, and, among others, numerous festivals in Italy, France, New Zealand, the USA, Russia and Switzerland.

Boasting a phenomenal concerto repertoire of over 50 concertos, Konstantin Scherbakov has performed as soloist with more than 60 orchestras, including the Russian State Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, St Petersburg Symphony, Stuttgart and Duisburg Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra, Philharmony of the Nations, Munich Symphony, George Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest, Weimarer Staatskapelle, Sofia Philharmonic, Bach Collegium Munich, Montreal Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Ukrainian and Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestras, Ulster Orchestra and Wiener Kammerorchester. In 2002, he started his collaboration with the Milano orchestra ‘I Pomeriggi Musicali’ and Orchestra da Camera di Padova, regularly performing as a soloist and conductor.

Konstantin Scherbakov’s constantly growing discography comprises 32 CDs featuring 280 compositions. Many recordings have received prizes and awards such as the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Cannes Classical Award.

Born in Barnaul, Russia, Konstantin Scherbakov made his debut with the philharmonic orchestra at the age of eleven, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Soon after, he moved to Moscow to continue his musical education at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire with the legendary professor Lev Naumov. The triumphant winner of the 1st Rachmaninov Competition in 1983, Konstantin Scherbakov has performed with all the leading orchestras of the former Soviet Union and has played recitals in more than 100 cities in his native country. After winning an array of prizes at prestigious international competitions (Montreal, Bolzano, Rome, Zurich), Scherbakov launched his international career in 1990 at the XXth Chamber Music Festival of Asolo, where he performed Rachmaninov’s complete works for solo piano in four recitals, to the manifest approval of Sviatoslav Richter. Since 1992 Konstantin Scherbakov has lived with his family in Switzerland.

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com

Role: Classical Artist
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