Piano Recital with Konstantin Lifschitz

Technopolis 20 proudly presents the new season of the ‘Technopolis 20 Classics’ concert series, starting on Sunday, September 19, 2021, at Markideio Theatre in Paphos with the world-famous pianist Konstantin Lifschitz.

Konstantin Lifschitz has established a worldwide reputation for performing extraordinary feats of endurance with honesty and persuasive beauty. He is giving recitals and playing concertos in the world’s leading concert halls and orchestras, besides being an active recording artist. His performance was praised as “the most magical moment” and “deeply satisfying” by The Independent, and “naturally expressive and gripping” by the New York Times.

He was born in Kharkov, Ukraine. At the age of 5, he was enrolled in the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow as a student of Tatiana Zelikman. He continued his studies in Russia, England and Italy. Since his sensational debut recital in the October Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow at the age of 13, he performs solo recitals at major festivals and the most important concert venues worldwide and appears as a soloist with leading international orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and many others. In 1995 Lifschitz was awarded the Echo Klassik Prize in Germany in the category "Young European Artist of the Year" and in 1996 he was nominated for a Grammy award for Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Recently, leading from the piano, he released all of Bach’s seven keyboard concertos with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. As a passionate chamber musician, he has collaborated with such artists as Gidon Kremer, Misha Maisky, Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Gutman, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Daishin Kashimoto, etc. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and has been appointed a professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts since 2008.

Konstantin Lifschitz, will perform the following programme:

• Les Lis naissans in B minor by François Couperin

• Les Roseaux by François Couperin

• Passacaille in B minor by François Couperin

• Overture in the French style, BWV 831 by Johann Sebastian Bach

• Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 by Ludwig van Beethoven

• Le Loriot (The Golden Oriole) from Catalogue d'Oiseaux ("Catalogue of birds") by Olivier Messiaen

• Impromptu in B flat major op. 142 No.3 by Franz Schubert

The last two years, ‘Technopolis 20’ has been organising ‘Technopolis 20 Classics’, a high-quality classical music concerts series, hosting world-famous musicians from abroad and supporting local talented musicians. All of the concerts are taking place in Paphos, supporting the main target of this project, that is to enhance the artistic scene of our city. Important moments of the project that took place at the venue of Technopolis 20, was the concert of the famous clarinettist Dimitri Ashkenazy with four soloists of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, the discussion event with the prominent German organist and improviser, Vice Dean and Professor for Organ and Improvisation at Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Hannfried Lucke, and one of the rare appearances of the internationally renowned flutist Peter-Lukas Graf. After the COVID-19 appeared in our lives, and due to the restrictions, concerts moved to Markideio Theatre with a series of events that supported local musicians.

Technopolis 20 Classics is having a number of concerts for 2021-2022, including: Piano Concert with Roman Zaslovsky (19 November 2021), Piano and Violin Concert with Victoria and Eleni Mavromoustaki (December 2021), Accordeon Classical concert with Viviane Chassot (December 2021), Clarinet and Piano Concert with Dimitri Ashkenazy and Bernd Glemser (February 2022), Piano Concert with Vitaly Starikov (March 2022), Piano Trio with Fedor Rudin (May 2022), three days outdoor music festival in Tala Amphitheatre, that will include a cello solo concert with Amit Peled, a Recorder and Lute concert with Maurice Steger and Daniele Caminiti and more.

Against the challenges of this period, the Paphos-based Cultural Organisation ‘Technopolis 20’ aims to continue to support the arts and the artists, by giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent and work, and at the same time to contribute to the development of the cultural life, by offering high level experiences to the public, with the support of course of private sponsorship.

Entrance: €20

ONLY with presales. Limited numbered seats available. Tickets available:

- Technopolis 20 art centre. Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 1pm

- Online banking (email us at info@technopolis20.com for details)

Information: 70002420

SafePass necessary.

The production takes all the necessary precautions and follows the instructions announced by the government, in order to ensure your health and safety.

Supporter: Municipality of Paphos

Hospitality Sponsor: Annabelle Hotel

Sponsor: Vouni Panayia Winery

*AFTER CONCERT DRINKS & FOOD IN THE GARDEN*

Join us for after concert drinks at Technopolis 20 garden, for socializing and meeting with the pianist. Drinks and food will be available. Limited seats are available. ONLY with reservations at 70002420.

 

A full biography of the artist

“To say that Mr. Lifschitz made his playing look easy would not be quite accurate. What he offered was a performance of such poetry that the question of whether executing it was difficult hardly came to mind.” (New York Times)

“Lifschitz maximised the instrument's potential for colour and tonal variety…the gentle, unshowy authority of his stage manner, that he was most persuasive, emphasising the work's qualities as living music as opposed to historic monument.” (The Guardian)

“This was due to Lifschitz's sovereign technique. Variations of touch, tone and pedalling were not only sensitive, with bell-like upper lines and beautifully weighted chordal sonorities, but almost invariably functional, highlighting structural change. It was the most magical moment in a deeply satisfying evening.” (The Independent)

Konstantin Lifschitz has established a worldwide reputation for performing extraordinary feats of endurance with honesty and persuasive beauty. He is giving recitals and playing concertos in the world’s leading concert halls and orchestras, besides being an active recording artist. His performance was praised as “the most magical moment“ and “deeply satisfying” by The Independent, and “naturally expressive and gripping” by the New York Times

Born in Kharkov, Ukraine in 1976, at the age of five, Konstantin Lifschitz was enrolled in the Gnessin Special School of Music in Moscow as a pupil of Tatiana Zelikman. After graduating he continued his studies in Russia, England and Italy where his teachers included Alfred Brendel, Leon Fleisher, Theodor Gutmann, Hamish Milne, Charles Rosen, Karl-Ulrich Schnabel, Vladimir Tropp, Fou T’song and Rosalyn Tureck.

In the early 1990s, Konstantin Lifschitz received a grant from the Russian Cultural Foundation. Around that time, he started to perform in European Musical capitals such as Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich and Milan. He toured Japan with The Moscow Virtuosi under Vladimir Spivakov, while in Europe he toured with the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra under Yuri Temirkanov, and also performed with Mischa Maisky and Gidon Kremer in many European cites. In 1995 he received the ECHO Klassik Award of “The Best Emerging Artist of the Year” for his first recording, and the following year he was nominated for a Grammy award for Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

Since his sensational debut recital in the October Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow at the age of 13, Konstantin Lifschitz performs solo recitals at major festivals and the most important concert venues worldwide and appears with leading international orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, RAI National Symphony Orchestra or Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

As a soloist Konstantin Lifschitz has collaborated with leading conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Spivakov, Yury Temirkanov, Sir Neville Marriner, Bernard Haitink, Sir Roger Norrington, Fabio Luisi, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Marek Janowski, Eliahu Inbal, Mikhail Jurowsky, Andrey Boreyko, Dimitry Liss, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Alexander Rudin and Christopher Hogwood.

As a chamber musician, Konstantin Lifschitz has collaborated with such artists as Gidon Kremer, Maxim Vengerov, Vadim Repin, Misha Maisky, Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Gutman, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Lynn Harrell, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Daishin Kashimoto, Leila Josefowicz, Carolin und Jörg Widmann, Sol Gabetta, Eugene Ugorski, Alexander Knyazev and Alexander Rudin.

Recently he gave solo recitals at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Moscow Philharmonic Hall, La Sala Verdi Milano and many others. He is also invited by numerous festivals including Tokyo Spring Festival, Rancho La Puerta's Music Festival, XII Mariinsky International Piano Festival, London Piano Festival, Würzburg Bachtage and Musiktage Höri Bodensee, where he serves as an honorary patron.

In the year 2020, he will give recitals and concerto performances in Teatro di Roma, Moscow Tchaikovsky Hall, St. Petersburg Mariinsky and Novosibirsk Great Hall. He leads and plays all Bach programme with Musica Viva Moscow and appears in festivals such as the Dialogues Festival (Salzburg Mozarteum) or Trans-Siberian Art Festival. He also plays duo recitals with Alexei Volodin in Moscow, Seoul, Hong Kong and Vienna. The year 2021 should see him perform Beethoven all 32 Piano Sonata Cycles in Tokyo (total 8 concerts) as well as in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Czech Republic (Kutna Hora Music Festival). These Beethoven’s jubilee 2020 scheduled performances had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

Konstantin Lifschitz appears as a conductor with such ensembles and orchestras as Moscow Virtuosi, Century Orchestra Osaka, Solisti di Napoli Naples, Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Wernigerode, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra Vilnius, Musica Viva Moscow, Lux Aeterna and Gabreli Choir Budapest, Dalarna Sinfonietta Falun and Chamber Orchestra Arpeggione Hohenems. Leading from the piano, he released all of Bach’s seven keyboard concertos with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra which let to another European tour. In 2019 he successfully led the China journey of the Lucerne Chamber Philharmony, which was founded and artistically directed by himself.

As a prolific recording artist, he has been releasing numerous CDs and DVDs, many of which have received exceptional reviews. Amongst them are 8 recordings for the Orfeo label including Bach’s Musical Offering, the St. Anne Prelude and Fugue and Three Frescobaldi Toccatas (2007), Gottfried von Einem Piano Concerto with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (2009), Brahms Second Concerto and Mozart Concerto K. 456 under Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (2010), Bach The Art of Fugue (2010), the complete Bach Concertos for keyboard and orchestra with the Stuttgart Kammerorchester (2011), Goldberg Variations (2015) and “Saisons Russes” with works of Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky and Jakoulov (2016). In 2008, a live recording of Lifschitz's performance of Bach Well-Tempered Clavier (Books I and II) at the Miami International Piano Festival was released on DVD by VAI. In 2014, Beethoven’s complete violin Sonatas with Daishin Kashimoto was released by Warner Classics. In 2020 to celebrate the composer’s 250 years jubilee Lifschitz released CD and Vinyl Box of Beethoven’s Complete 32 Piano Sonatas with Alpha Classics (Live recordings).

Konstantin Lifschitz is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and has been appointed a professor of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts since 2008.