Denis Matsuev

Born in Irkutsk, Soviet Union, 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.[1] 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.[1] With other young gifted musicians from Russia discovered by the foundation, Matsuev went on tour in Europe and the United States.[2]

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, South Africa, where he was awarded the Grand Prix. In the same year, he entered the Moscow Conservatory as a student of Aleksey Nasedkin. After 1997, he studied under Sergei Dorensky. Matsuev won the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998 at age 23.[3][4][5]

Concert hall in Irkutsk named after Matsuev, which serves as headquarters of the "Stars on Baikal" festival

Matsuev is artistic co-director of the international "Annecy Classic Festival" in Annecy, 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".[1] In addition, Matsuev has assisted with organization of other regional festivals in the Urals, in the cities of Perm, Orenburg and Cheliabinsk. He is the current president of the "New Names Charitable Foundation", which launched Matsuev's performing career and continues to support the musical education of gifted children in the Russian remote regions.

In October 2008, Alexander Borisovich Rachmaninoff, the grandson of the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, invited Matsuev to become artistic director of the "Sergei Rachmaninoff Foundation". As a part of his collaboration with the foundation, Matsuev performed and recorded little known Rachmaninoff works on the composer's own piano, a Hamburg 'D' Steinway grand piano at the Rachmaninoff Villa Senar in Lucerne. In 2013 – Rachmaninov's 140th anniversary year – the foundation presented series of concerts in the most prestigious concert halls throughout Russia and Europe.

In 2012 Matsuev[6] 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. In May 2016 Matsuev became artistic director of the 1st International "Grand Piano Competition" for Young Pianists.

Jazz evening during the "Crescendo" festival, 2018

Matsuev also plays jazz music, and has cited Oscar Peterson as a key influence on his jazz playing. Matsuev was the first classical pianist to give a jazz concert at Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

Matsuev and 80 other Russian artists signed a collective letter "to support the position of President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Crimea."[7]

In February 2014, at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Matsuev was a torchbearer,[8] and performed in the closing ceremony.[9] In April 2014 UNESCO designated him as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

In 2016 Matsuev was announced as 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Ambassador.

In 2018 Matsuev was awarded the Order of Honour.

Matsuev being awarded the Order of Honour by President Vladimir Putin in 2018

• Laureate of "Shostakovich Prize" in Music
• the State Prize of Russian Federation in Literature and Arts
• People's Artist of Russia
• Honorary Professor of Moscow State University
• Member of The Presidential Council for Culture and Arts
• Honored Artist of Russia
• UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador[10]
• Head of The Public Council under The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
• DaCapo KlassiK Award 2017 – Pianist of the Year
• Order of Honour, 2018[11]
• Russian National Music Award - Best Instrumentalist in Classical Music, 2016,[12] 2017,[13] 2018,[14] 2019;[15] Special Prize for Exceptional Performing Skills, 2015[16]

• 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. [New 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

• Official website
• Moscow Philharmonic – Matsuev Denis
• Columbia Artists Management Inc. – Denis Matsuev
• Annecy Festival page on Denis Matsuev