Denis Leonidovich Matsuev |

Denis Matsuev

The name of Denis Matsuev is inextricably linked with the traditions of the legendary Russian piano school, the invariable quality of concert programs, the innovation of creative concepts and the depth of artistic interpretations.

The rapid ascent of the musician began in 1998 after his victory at the XI International Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow. Today Denis Matsuev is a welcome guest of the central concert halls of the world, an indispensable participant in the largest music festivals, a permanent partner of the leading symphony orchestras in Russia, Europe, North America and Asia. Despite the exceptional demand abroad, Denis Matsuev considers the development of philharmonic art in the regions of Russia to be his main priority and presents a significant proportion of his concert programs, primarily premieres, in Russia.

• Piano music in the Ozon online store →

Among Denis Matsuev’s partners on the stage are world-famous bands from the USA (New York Philharmonic, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras), Germany (Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio, Leipzig Gewandhaus, West German Radio), France (National Orchestra, Orchestra de Paris, French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Toulouse Capitol Orchestra), Great Britain (BBC Orchestra, London Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra), as well as La Scala Theater Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Budapest Festival and Festival Verbier Orchestra, Maggio Musicale and the European Chamber Orchestra. For many years the pianist has been collaborating with leading domestic ensembles. He pays special attention to regular work with regional orchestras in Russia.

Close creative contacts connect Denis Matsuev with outstanding contemporary conductors, such as Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Mikhail Pletnev, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Spivakov, Maris Jansons, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Meta, Leonard Slatkin, Ivan Fischer, Semyon Bychkov, Gianandrea Noseda, Paavo Järvi, Myung-Wun Chung, Zubin Meta, Kurt Mazur, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and many others.

Among the central events of the upcoming seasons are concerts by Denis Matsuev with the London Symphony and Zurich Opera House Orchestra under the direction of Valery Gergiev, the Chicago Symphony and James Conlon, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Antonio Pappano, the Israel Philharmonic and Yuri Temirkanov, the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Symphony and Tokyo NHK under conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

Annual US tour with solo concerts in the most prestigious halls of North America, performances at world famous festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival, Festspielhaus (Baden-Baden, Germany), Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland), Ravinia and Hollywood Bowl (USA), “Stars of the White Nights” in St. Petersburg (Russia) and a number of others. Tour with the London Symphony and the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev in Europe and Asia, the West German Radio Orchestra and Jukka-Pekka Saraste, as well as the Toulouse Capitol National Orchestra and Tugan Sokhiev in Germany, the Israeli Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov in the Middle East.

Denis Matsuev has been a soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic since 1995. Since 2004, he has been presenting his annual personal season ticket “Soloist Denis Matsuev”. In the subscription, the leading orchestras of Russia and abroad perform together with the pianist, while maintaining the availability of concerts for subscription holders remains a characteristic feature of the cycle. The subscription concerts of recent seasons have featured the Arturo Toscanini Symphony Orchestra and Lorin Maazel, the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, the Florentine Maggio Musicale and Zubin Meta, the Russian National Orchestra under the direction of Mikhail Pletnev and Semyon Bychkov twice took part, as well as Vladimir Spivakov as soloist and conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.

For many years, Denis Matsuev has been the leader and inspirer of a number of music festivals, educational and educational projects, becoming a prominent musical public figure. Since 2004, he has been holding the Stars on Baikal festival in his native Irkutsk with invariable success (in 2009 he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Irkutsk), and since 2005 he has been the artistic director of the Crescendo Music Festival, whose programs have been a great success were met in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Pskov, Tel Aviv, Paris and New York. In 2010, proclaimed the year of Russia – France, Denis Matsuev accepted the invitation of his French colleagues and joined the leadership of the Annecy Arts Festival, the logical idea of ​​which was the interpenetration of the musical cultures of the two countries.

The musician’s special responsibility is to work with the New Names Interregional Charitable Foundation, a student of which he is currently the President. Over its more than twenty-year history, the Foundation has educated several generations of artists and, under the leadership of Denis Matsuev and the founder of the foundation, Ivetta Voronova, continues to expand its educational activities in the field of supporting talented children: currently, within the framework of the All-Russian program “New Names for the Regions of Russia”, which annually takes place in more than 20 cities of Russia.

In 2004 Denis Matsuev signed a contract with BMG. The very first joint project – the solo album Tribute to Horowitz – received the RECORD-2005 award. In 2006, the pianist again became the winner of the RECORD award for his solo album with the recording of P.I. Tchaikovsky and three fragments from the music of the ballet “Petrushka” by I.F. Stravinsky. In the summer of 2006, the recording of the musician’s album took place with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Yuri Temirkanov. In the spring of 2007, thanks to the collaboration of Denis Matsuev and Alexander Rachmaninov, another solo album was released, which became a kind of milestone in the musician’s work – “Unknown Rachmaninoff”. Recording of unknown works by S.V. Rachmaninoff was made on the composer’s piano in his house “Villa Senar” in Lucerne. The triumphant performance of the pianist with a solo program at Carnegie Hall in New York in November 2007 appeared in a new quality – in September 2008, Sony Music released a new album by the musician: Denis Matsuev. Concert at Carnegie Hall. In March 2009, Denis Matsuev, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra recorded the works of S.V. Rachmaninoff on the new Mariinsky record label.

Denis Matsuev — Art Director of the Foundation. S.V. Rachmaninov. In February 2006, the pianist joined the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation, and in April 2006 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. A landmark event for the musician was the presentation of one of the most prestigious world music awards – the Prize. D.D. Shostakovich, which was presented to him in 2010. In accordance with the Decree of the President of Russia, in June of the same year, Denis Matsuev became a laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art, and in May 2011, the pianist was awarded the title of People’s Artist of Russia.

Source: Moscow Philharmonic website Photo: Sony BMG Masterworks