Konstantin Lifschitz

     Konstantin Lifschitz was born on December 10, 1976, in Kharkov, Ukraine. As a very small child, he became irresistibly attracted to the piano, playing by ear and improvising with total absorption for hours on end. This aptitude for his chosen instrument was so remarkable, that at five, he enrolled in the renowned Gnessin Special Middle School of Music under the sensitive tutelage of Tatiana Zelikman.
     Known affectionately by the nickname Kostya to his growing number of admiring fans, in1990 the Russian Culture Foundation awarded him a scholarship. At this time he already performs in Paris, Munich, Milan and other prominent music centers in Europe. These activities brought Kostya to the attention of Vladimir Spivakov. The latter arranged for him to perform as soloist with the Moscow Virtuosi in Moscow and on tour in Japan performing Bach’s Concerto in D Minor in Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Sapporo. Following this tour, he performed with Spivakov in Monte Carlo and Antibes in performances of Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo.
     At 13,  Kostya  presented a landmark recital in the chamber hall of the Russian Academy of Music. The capacity crowd responded with an overwhelming enthusiasm that even then established him as a major artist, ready to take his place alongside the masters of Russian piano legend. In 1994, Kostya presented his graduation recital from Gnessin; his program commenced with Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Denon Records recorded the 17-year-old in this deeply felt interpretation of his beloved Bach. This recording, when released in 1996, was nominated for a Grammy Award and moved critic Edward Rothstein of The New York Times to regard Kostya’s performance  the most powerful pianistic interpretation since Gould. 
Though he had previously performed in Italy with Claudio Scimone and I Solisti Veneti, Kostya’s recital debut at the Societá dei Concerti series in Milan and the subsequent critical acclaim established him as a favorite in Italy. Indeed,  Kostya studied at the International Piano Foundation in Lago di Como.
     In January of 1995, Kostya moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. The same year saw his London debut at Wigmore Hall, his return to Verdi Hall in Milan, and his North American debut at Le Domaine Forget in Canada. Highlights of Kostya’s 1996 season included recitals in Austria, Germany, Italy, his U.S. debut at the Newport Music Festival and a tour of Japan. In recent years, he has also concertized widely throughout the Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Spain and Japan.
In 1995 he won the German Echo Classic Record Prize, as a New Young Artist of the Year. In the spring of that year he performed with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra and made a European tour with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under Yuri Termikanov. He also collaborated with Bernard Haitink and the European Union Youth Orchestra.
     Though he still gives large numbers of recitals and concerts with principal world orchestras, Kostya is still very dedicated to performing chamber music with his colleagues and peers. His collaborators include violinists Gidon Kremer and Nurit Pacht, and cellists Misha Maysky and Lynn Harrell. Kostya’s interpretations are pervaded by the spirit of our age: you can sense the  freedom of expression and his own distinctive stamp for its dramatic flair and gracefulness.
     His appearance in 1998 at the Miami Festival of Discovery was his first in a major American city. In June of 1999, he made his Chicago Symphony debut performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 under the direction of Mstislav Rostropovich. The following season included debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic, as well as return engagements with the New Hampshire Symphony.
     Kostya is a grateful recipient of support from Patrons of Exceptional Artists. His talents are heard on Denon Records, for whom he has recorded ten CDs including the aforementioned Debut Recording, Live in Milano, Goldberg Variations and Konstantin Lifschitz plays Schumann and Chopin.