Denis Leonidovich Matsuev ( rus, Дени́с Леони́дович Мацу́ев /ma'tsujef/; born June 11, 1975) is a Russian classical pianist and occasional

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

performer.

Biography

Born in

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and mn, Эрхүү, ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 617,473 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, Matsuev is the only child of two musicians, as his mother is a piano teacher and his father is a pianist and composer. He demonstrated a musical ear at age 3, when he reproduced on the piano at home a melody that he heard on television. His father subsequently became his first piano teacher. Until age 15, Matsuev studied music in Irkutsk. In 1990, he won a prize at the "New Names Charitable Foundation" competition in Irkutsk and received a stipend, $1,000 a month, from the foundation to study music in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. With other young gifted musicians from Russia discovered by the foundation, Matsuev went on tour in Europe and the United States. In 1991, Matsuev moved with his parents to Moscow to continue his musical education. He studied at the Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1994, he took part at his first international piano competition in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, South Africa, where he was awarded the Grand Prix. In the same year, he entered the Moscow Conservatory as a student of

Aleksey Nasedkin Alexei Nasedkin (russian: Алексе́й Насе́дкин; 20 December 1942 in Moscow – 4 December 2014 in Moscow) was a Russian pianist and composer. Nasedkin showed a talent for music at a young age, composing an opera at age 7, ''The Tale ...

. After 1997, he studied under

Sergei Dorensky Sergei Leonidovich Dorensky (russian: Серге́й Леони́дович Доре́нский; 3 December 1931 – 26 February 2020) was a Russian pianist. He was trained under Grigory Ginsburg at the Moscow Conservatory. Dorensky was awarded ...

. Matsuev won the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998 at age 23. Matsuev is artistic co-director of the international "Annecy Classic Festival" in

Annecy Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...

, France, with Pascal Escande. He is also the organizer and artistic director of two international festivals in Russia: "Stars on Baikal" in his native city of Irkutsk and the annual music festival "Crescendo". In 2012 Matsuev became artistic director of the 1st International "Astana Piano Passion" Festival and Competition, and in 2013 he was artistic director of the International Festival and Competition "Sberbank DEBUT" in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

. Matsuev and 80 other Russian artists signed a collective letter "to support the position of President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

and

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

." In February 2014, at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, Matsuev was a torchbearer, and performed in the

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

. In 2018 Matsuev was awarded the Russian Order of Honour. In 2022, due to his public support of Vladimir Putin, Matsuev's appearance with the Vienna Philharmonic in New York on February 25, 2022, was cancelled and he was replaced by pianist Seong-Jin Cho.

Awards, titles and honors

Vladimir Putin and Denis Matsuev 2018-06-27

* UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador * Order of Honour, 2018 * Russian National Music Award - Best Instrumentalist in Classical Music, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; Special Prize for Exceptional Performing Skills, 2015

Discography

* Haydn, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev. © & (P) 1997 New Names. * Haydn, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev. © & (P) Vivendi, 1999. * Beethoven, Tchaikowsky, Liszt, Prokofiev. Collection Etoiles. Live recording – Eglise Notre-Dame d'Auvers-sur-Oise, 27 May 2000. * Liszt: Mephisto Waltz S.514, Schumann: Symphonic Etudes Op. 13, Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 14 in A minor D.784. Sacrambow (Japan), © & (P) 2000 JAPAN ARTS. * Classic Masterpieces. Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor Rico Saccani. Tchaikovsky – Piano concertos Nos. 1 & 2. Soloist: Denis Matsouev. © & (P) 2003 Independent Music & Media Alliance LTD. * Tribute to Horowitz. Liszt, Bizet-Horowitz, Rossini-Ginzburg. (P) & © 2004 BMG Russia. * Stravinsky – Firebird Suite, Shchedrin – Piano Concerto No. 5. Mariss JAansons – Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – © 2005 Sony BMG Music Entertainment * Stravinsky & Tchaikovsky. I. Stravinsky – Three Movements From Petrouchka; P. I. Tchaikovsky – The Seasons. RCA Red Seal. (P) & © 2005 Sony BMG Music Entertainment. * Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 & Shostakovich: Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings. St Petersburg PO/Temirkanov. RCA Red Seal (P) & © 2007 Sony BMG Music Entertainment. * Unknown Rachmaninoff, 18 March 2008, RCA Red Seal. * The Carnegie Hall Concert – Denis Matsuev (20 October 2009) RCA Red Seal. * Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – Denis Matsuev, Gergiev, and Mariinsky Orchestra (9 February 2010 * Franz Liszt. Russian National Orchestra and Michail Pletnev. Sony Music Entertainment (Russia), 2011. * Franz Liszt – Piano concertos nos. 1 & 2 Totentanz; Orpheus ; Héroïde funèbre. ew York Sony, 2011. * Sjostakovitj, Dmitrij, Valerij Gergiev, and Rodion Stjedrin. Piano concertos nos. 1 & 2. State Academic Mariinsky Theatre, 2011. * Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2; Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue. Sony Bmg Music, 2013. * Szymanowski: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4, Stabat Mater. London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Denis Matsuev (Artist), London Symphony Chorus (Orchestra) Format: Audio CD, 2013LSO Live Production * Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Denis Matsuev (Artist, Performer), Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Format: Audio CD, 2014 Mariinsky Label * Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 5 Denis Matsuev (Performer), Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (Conductor), Sergei Prokofiev (Composer), Format: Audio CD, 2014 Mariinsky Label * Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 1(1917 Edition), Stravinsky Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929), Shchedrin Piano Concerto No. 2 (1936) Denis Matsuev, Piano The Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. Mariinsky Label 2015. * Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2. CD, Mariinky Label January 2018

References

External links

*
Moscow Philharmonic – Matsuev Denis

Columbia Artists Management Inc. – Denis Matsuev

Annecy Festival page on Denis Matsuev
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsuev, Denis 1975 births Russian classical pianists Male classical pianists People's Artists of Russia State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates Living people Prize-winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition Moscow Conservatory alumni Russian National Music Award winners 20th-century Russian musicians 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century Russian male musicians 21st-century Russian musicians 21st-century classical pianists 21st-century Russian male musicians Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Russia