Biography

 

Born 1968 in Moscow, Mikhail Lidsky started studying piano at the age of five. In 1975, he was admitted to Gnessin Moscow Specialised Music School (class of Marina Marshak-Young). From 1978 until graduation and later (1987-1992) at Gnessin Russian Academy of Music he studied with Prof. Vladimir Tropp.

At the age of 13 played with orchestra for the first time, at 15 – gave his first recital. While studying, gave many performances in various cities of the USSR as a soloist and chamber music player.

At the Eighth All-Russia Piano Competition (Kislovodsk, 1989) he was awarded 1st prize (joint), prize of Russia's Music Society and a special price for the performance of Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto. Since then, he has never taken part in competitions.

In April 1991, Mikhail Lidsky gave his debut recital at the Hall of Columns (Moscow). In June, the same year, gave concerts in Great Britain. In December gave his debut recital at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire. Since 1992, Mikhail Lidsky has been involved in a wide-scale concert activity in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States as well as in other countries (Great Britain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey).

Mikhail Lidsky’s vast and versatile repertoire includes works by J.S. Bach (Concertos, Partitas, etc.), Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart (Concertos, Sonatas, etc.), Beethoven (32 Sonatas, 5 Concertos, Variations, etc.), Schubert (Sonatas, Impromtus, Moments Musicaux, etc.), Schumann (e.g. Kreisleriana, Sonata in F minor, all compositions for piano and orchestra), Chopin, Liszt (12 Transcendental Studies, Sonata in B minor. Concerto No.1, and many other works), Brahms (e.g. Concerto No.2, Haendel and Paganini Variations), Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov. Scriabin (Piano Concerto, solo part in “Prjmetheus”, Sonatas and many other piano pieces), Medtner (Concerto No.1, sonatas, Fairy-tales, chamber music, etc.), Debussy, Ravel (both Piano Concertos, Gaspard de la Nuit, etc.), Stravinsky, Hindemith (Ludus tonalis), Myaskovsky (all piano sonatas), Prokofiev, Shostakovich, etc.

Among other, Mikhail Lidsky played with the following orchestras: The Russian State Symphony Orchestra, The Russian National Orchestra, The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, The Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra. His partner conductors are Alexander Vedernikov, Feodor Glushchenko, Arnold Katz, Dmitri Liss, Vladimir Ponkin, Ravil Martynov, Vladimir Verbitsky, Yuri Simonov, and others.

Mikhail Lidsky performs chamber music with "Moscow Virtuosi", Mozart Quartet, Domenico Nordio, and some other famous musicians.

From 1997 on Mikhail Lidsky has been annual guest of Serate musicali, Milan, giving numerous recitals and concerto appearances, as well as chamber music performances.

Mikhail Lidsky is a founder of several important musical events such as Autumn Music Nights in Moscow and Piano Festival in Volgograd.

In 2006, Mikhail Lidsky gave 3 recital series dedicated to Nikolai Myaskovsky’s piano sonatas, held at Rachamaninov Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, which were recorded for MELODIYA label. During the season 2006-2007, Mikhail Lidsky has given two 9 recital series dedicated to Beethoven’s 32 sonatas in Vladimir and Volgograd, Russia, as well as all-Schumann programme with orchestra: in Vladimir and Moscow with Vladimir Orchestra led by Artyom Markin, in Milan (Sala Verdi del Conservatorio) with Orchestra di Padova e Veneto led by Andrea Raffanini. Besides, he gave some solo and chamber music recitals, as well as soloist appearances with orchestras in Istanbul, Minsk, Baku and various cities of Russia.

During the seasons 2007-08 and 2008-2009, Mikhail Lidsky performed Beethoven’s sonatas in Moscow International Performance Arts Centre, as well as in Minsk and Baku, and a few other cities. Besides, he gave some concerts in UK, Italy and Japan, along with numerous appearances throughout Russia. In the season 2009-10, Mikahil Lidsky is giving recital series in the cities of Vladimir, Volgograd, Minsk and Moscow. Besides, his concerts are scheduled in many Russian cities, as well as in Italy and Japan.

Mikhail Lidsky has released many CDs, of which six have been published by DENON. His latest releases include Brahms’ sonatas for violin/viola and piano recorded with Domenico Nordio for DECCA and Chopin programme recorded in Japan by Wakabayashi-koubou, Liszt’s Etudes d’execution transcendante recorded live in Moscow and Schumann/Rachmaninov programme (both published by Wakabayashi-koubou).

From 1996 on, Mikhail Lidsky has been teaching at Moscow State Conservatoire. He had been an assistant of Elisso Virsaladze until 2003, having become an independent teacher thereupon. In 2007, he joined the chair of Victor Merzhanov.

© Vitaly Brenner, 2004