Alexei Volodin recital (piano)

Piano

"The 31 year old Volodin, First Prize winner of Zurich's Géza Anda Competition in 2003, is light years removed from the generic Russian firebrand type of keyboard artist. His finely calibrated rendition of Beethoven's most introspective piano concerto revealed a sensitive musician who emphasized the score's subtle interplay of sun and shadow rather than a flashy display of pianistic bombast.
Volodin's flawless, rock solid technique dazzled the ear without the power pounding excess that too often impresses competition juries and audiences. His runs and triplets, often fudged or approximated by more established artists, were perfectly articulated, a stunning display of enlightened musicality and technical aplomb. Volodin was particularly impressive in a delicate, almost Chopinesque traversal of the Andante con moto: the mystery at the movement's conclusion beautifully revealed. A bright, suavely elegant reading of the Rondo Vivace finale capped an impressive performance bay remarkably gifted young pianist".
Lawrence Budmen. Music & Vision (Daily classical Music Magazine)

Alexei Volodin was born in Leningrad. In 1999 he graduated with distinction from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, and in 2001 completed a postgraduate study there, where he had the good fortune to train under brilliant pianist and teacher Eliso Virsaladze. In 2001–2002 he trained at the International Piano Academy founded by the Theo Lieven Foundation (Como, Italy). Alexei Volodin is a prize-winner of international competitions including Paloma O’Shea, Santander (Spain, 1998) and Sydney International Piano Competition (Australia, 2000) and overall winner of the Ennio Porrino Competition (Cagliari, Italy, 2001) and the Geza Anda Competition (Zurich, Switzerland, 2003). Receiving first prize at the Geza Anda Competition gave the pianist the chance to appear with renowned orchestras, including joint appearances with the Zurich Tonhalle under David Zinman, the State Academic Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Fedoseyev, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, North German Radio Philharmonic (NDR) and the Orchestre du Capitole (Toulouse). In May 2005 Alexei Volodin made his brilliant debut at the Theatre du Champs Elyse’es in Paris, enchanting the demanding public and winning critical acclaim. This young pianist frequently tours to Japan, Spain, France, Norway, Egypt, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Australia and Switzerland. From the 2006–2007 season he has been a frequent guest soloist in Montpelier (France). Future plans include taking part in the International La Rocque d’Anthe’ron Festival in Besanзon (France) for the first time and concert programmes at the Konzerthaus (Vienna), the Alte Oper (Frankfurt), the Festspielhaus (Baden-Baden) and the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam). Alexei Volodin has recorded two CDs with АВС Classics (Austria) and Live Classics (Germany) that feature works by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky.