Vladimir Ovchinnikov

Vladimir Ovchinnikov

Russia

Vladimir Ovchinnikov is the only pianist ever to receive the top prizes both at the Tchaikovsky International Competition (1982) International Tchaikovsky competition and the Leeds International Competition (1987).The Leeds International Piano Competition.

“Anybody who knows the playing of this most sensitive and expressive of pianists will be aware of the subtle shading, clarity and thrust that his mind and fingers combine to produce.” These words of the London Daily Telegraph reflect the special features of artistic image of the outstanding Russian pianist Vladimir Ovchinnikov.

Vladimir Ovchinnikov continues the traditions of the world known G. Neighaus Piano School. The pianist is a graduate of the famous Central Special Music School (the class of A. Artobolevskaya) and the Moscow Conservatory (class of Prof. A. Nasedkin).

The only pianist ever to win the top prizes at the International  -Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1982) and – Leeds International Piano Competition (1987),  Vladimir Ovchinnikov is also a laureate of the

-Concours International de Montreal (Canada, 1980, 2nd Prize), — and the International Music Competition  G.B.Viotti in Vercelli  (Italy, 1984, 1st Prize).

It was his success at Leeds, however, which established his international career, a triumph which was followed by a triumphant début performance in London in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen.

He appears regularly with leading orchestras all over the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the English Classical Players in the UK. He has also appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and numerous others from around the world. In Russia he works with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Great Symphony Orchestra and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra.

In the course of his career he has performed with many leading conductors including E. Svetlanov, Sir Georg Solti, V. Ashkenazy, R. Barshay, M. Bamert, J. Brett, W. Weller, A. Wit, A. Dmitriev, J. Kraizberg, L. Pesek, G. Rozhdestvensky, S. Skrowaczewski, V. Fedoseev, M. Jansons, N. Jarvi, A. Lazarev, R. Martynov, Y. Simonov, V. Poliansky, A. Vedernikov, T. Sanderling, J. Conlon, V. Gergiev, M. Gorenstein, M. Shostakovich.

Ovchinnikov possesses a wide repertory and appears in all the major cities throughout Europe and the USA. As internationally renowned pianist V. Ovchinnikov had the honour to perform at the most prestigious Concert Halls such as the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Great Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmony, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre in New York, the Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall in London, the Gewandhaus in Germany, the Vienna Musikverein, Conservatorio Milano Verdi, Champs-Elysees Theatre in Paris, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and has received the highest praises of the audience, music critics and press. His festival appearances include: Carnegie Hall and Hollywood Bowl (USA), Edinburgh and Cheltenham (UK), Schleswig Holstein (Germany), Sintra (Portugal), Stresa (Italy), Singapore Festival, BBC Proms in London, V. Cliburn in Concert Festival (USA).

He has also recorded for leading companies:

– EMI released his CDs with “Transcendental Etudes” by Liszt, “Etudes — Tableaux” by Rachmaninoff, all 9 Sonatas and pieces from the ballet “Cinderella” by Prokofiev.

– For Collins Classics he recorded the First Piano Concerto by Shostakovich with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Maxim Shostakovich and “Pictures at an Exhibition”.

– Other recordings include sonatas for violin and piano by Grieg (together with the violinist Vinnitsky) — for the Russian Seasons label, also — Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Taneev, Rubinstein for Gold Club.

For several years he was the Guest Professor of Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music in England. Rector of  the Central Music School   of the  Moscow  Tchaikovsky Conservatory from 2011 since 2016.

Currently he is the Resident Professor of piano at the Moscow Conservatory and Guest Professor of Piano at the Moscow State University in Russia. He has also been a jury member of many International Competitions.

In 2005 Vladimir Ovchinnikov received Russia’s highest award and honor for Musicians — the title National Artist of Russia awarded by the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

photo Edward Milokumov