2016 Cleveland International Piano Competition winner makes New York debut in June

 

Russian pianist Nikita Mndoyants, the electrifying first prizewinner of the 2016 Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) will make his New York debut at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall on 7 June. He will perform one of his own compositions, plus works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Prokofiev.

 

At age 29, Mndoyants has established a worldwide reputation as a composer and pianist. He has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the US, appearing in major concert halls in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Paris.

 

He has worked with renowned conductors including Bramwell Tovey, Leonard Slatkin, Eri Klas, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Charles Ansbacher, and Alexander Sladkovsky. He also has performed in many festivals in Europe and the US and has been pianist and composer in residence at the International Music Festival in Wissembourg (France) since 2012.

 

Mndoyants has a strong affinity for chamber music, and has been performing steadily since 2004 with ensembles such as the Borodin, Brentano, Eben, Zemlinsky, and Szymanowsky Quartets.

 

At the CIPC, Mr. Mndoyants’ performances were described as ‘superb, poetic and relaxed’ (Stephen Wigler) and ‘pure elegance...technically flawless, and deeply insightful’ (Zachary Lewis, the Plain Dealer).

 

Here he is playing his winning performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 during the final round of the competition with The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Bramwell Tovey: 

 

 

Mndoyants’ piano and chamber works are made available by publishing houses Composers, Muzyka, and Jurgenson, and have been performed by Daniel Hope, Nicolas Stavy, the Szymanowski and Zemlinsky Quartets, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, and others. Mndoyants has released solo and chamber recordings on the Classical Records and Praga Digitals labels. A new recording on the Steinway & Sons label will be released at New York debut.

 

Mndoyants received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, where he studied composition with Professor Alexander Tchaikovsky and piano with Professor Nikolay Petrov and Professor Alexander Mndoyants. Since 2013 he has taught orchestration, also at the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory.

 

Nikita Mndoyants

Debut New York Recital, Carnegie Hall

7 June, 8pm

 

PROGRAMME

Beethoven Six Bagatelles Op 126

Schumann Davidsbündlertänze Op 6

Intermission

Nikita Mndoyants (1989-) Variations on a Theme by Paganini (2007)

Prokofiev Sonata No 8 in B flat Op 84

 

 

ABOUT THE CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 

The Cleveland International Piano Competition is an organization dedicated to supporting the young artists who have made our musical heritage their life’s work. This is accomplished through four major programs and events, including the Cleveland International Piano Competition and Festival, the CIPC Young Artists Competition and Institute, the CIPC Concert Series, and ArtsConnect, a music-based community outreach program.

 

Within this framework, the organization presents two major international competitions: First is the Cleveland International Piano Competition for artists ages 18 to 30, which was founded in 1974. It attracts the best young piano talent from around the world to compete for top prizes; engages an audience of 10 to 15,000 over a period of 15 days; and culminates in two sold-out performances at Severance Hall that feature the four finalists performing with The Cleveland Orchestra. Second is CIPC Young Artists, for artists ages 12 to 17. CIPC Young Artists is an international competition designed to provide a top-level competition and learning experience for very young pianists who have the talent and potential to engage in successful performance careers.

Photo: Emil Matseev Photography