Odessa Classics: Evgeny Kisin

Evgeny Kissin (piano)

In a programme
Berg. Sonata
Khrennikov. Dance, Op. 5 No. 3
Khrennikov. 5 pieces, Op. 2
Gershwin. 3 preludes
Chopin. Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, no. 1
Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29
Impromptu in F sharp major, Op. 36
Impromptu in G flat major, Op. 51
Scherzo No. 1 in B minor
Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major

Pianist Evgeny Kisin is one of the most outstanding musicians of our time. This is his second visit to Odessa; the first took place back in 1990, when the author's concert of the composer Tikhon Khrennikov took place here. To participate in the concert, Khrennikov invited three talented teenagers, students of the Central Music School - violinists Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov and pianist Yevgeny Kissin. Even then, the Odessa audience was fascinated by the play of these young musicians. Almost thirty years have passed since then, and musicians who have already become legendary came to Odessa for the ODESSA CLASSICS festival - Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov. Their concerts became a real sensation. And now we are looking forward to meeting Yevgeny Kissin.

Today the maestro is one of the few performers who, with their creativity, define the level of the performing arts in the world. Kissin's talent was noticed in early childhood. At the age of 10, he performed for the first time with the orchestra, performing Mozart's 20th Concerto. A year later he gave his first solo concert. In 1984 (at the age of 12) Eugene performed Chopin's 1st and 2nd Concertos for Piano and Orchestra at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

In 1985, Evgeny Kissin went abroad with concerts for the first time, in 1987 he made his debut in Western Europe at the Berlin Festival. In 1988 he appeared with Herbert von Karajan at the New Year's Concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Tchaikovsky's 1st Concerto. In September 1990, Kissin made his US debut, where he performed Chopin's 1st and 2nd Concertos with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Meta. A week later, the musician gave a recital at Carnegie Hall. In February 1992, Kissin took part in the Grammy Awards in New York, broadcast on television to an audience of six hundred million viewers. In August 1997 he gave a recital at the Proms Festival in London's Albert Hall - the first piano evening in more than 100 years of the festival's history.

Evgeny Kissin has performed with the world's leading orchestras under the baton of such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Ashkenazi, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Evgeny Svetlanov; Kissin's chamber music partners include Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Natalia Gutman, Thomas Quasthoff, Gidon Kremer, Alexander Knyazev, James Levine, Misha Maisky, Isaac Stern and others.