Denis Kozhukhin

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Ludovic Morlot / Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 5

“It has been a triumphal innings for Denis Kozhukhin in Glasgow, where over the last few months he has played all of Prokofiev’s piano concertos with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The first marked the 26-year-old’s UK professional debut; at this final concert, the sold-out City Halls cheered him with the fondness they would a local lad.

He saved the mighty fifth concerto until last, tackling it with the same blithe bravura as he had the other four. Even having to learn three of the concertos from scratch did not phase Kozhukhin, who always seems to be enjoying himself. His cheerful assurance never comes across as hubris, though: he is attentive and gracious with the orchestra, and technically breezy, fingers buoyant on the keys no matter how dense Prokofiev’s writing. His sound is percussive but not harsh, forceful but never overwhelming, cheeky but not mean or sarcastic. He breathed gentle space into the Larghetto and easy swing into the Moderato’s opening offbeats. This was a young man’s Prokofiev, sincere and quirky and inquisitive.”
The Guardian, April 2012

BBC Symphony Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins / Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2

“THIS was remarkable; a performance of such rare quality it is difficult to light on vocabulary that might define the experience.

It might be said that soloist Denis Kozhukhin’s performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 2 was powerful, or characterful, or emotional, or personable, or (as was certainly the case) that it was all of the above.

There could be some mileage in recounting the audience’s stunned reaction as Kozhukhin wrestled with and overcame passage after furious passage, gathering tension as he went by virtue of the sheer physical strain required to realise the notes Prokofiev put on the page.

Kozhukhin should also be praised for adding stresses and quirks to the second movement, showing it to be something approaching the scherzo claimed by its title; for his phrasing in the Intermezzo which confirmed that short, fast notes do not necessarily signify lighthearted frivolity; and in particular for the terrifying sorrow he conveyed in the melody which dominates the closing movement.”
The Scotsman, December 2011

“The performance of Prokofiev Two by the amazing pianist Denis Kozhukhin with the BBC SSO and conductor Martyn Brabbins was more than an astonishing performance: it was an account that made total sense of the piece, and was completely revealing of the music itself – always the ultimate test of a great version…

The performance was dynamite: explosive and volatile, with phenomenal playing from Kozhukhin, but all within a lucidly defined context and structure.

Everything locked into place, from the tiny opening cell to the huge frame of the four-movement monster. The event was an exemplar of its type; nothing less than that.”
Herald Scotland, December 2011

Utah Symphony Orchestra / Garry Walker / Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1

“Kozhukhin’s dazzling performance showed that he isn’t just another hotshot with lightning-fast fingers, but a savvy musician worth keeping an eye on. He paired phenomenal speed with crystal clarity and graceful phrasing. Garry Walker and the orchestra did a splendid job matching Kozhukhin’s dynamism in this exuberant concerto, which charges forward without pause and culminates in an exhilarating burst of musical adrenaline.”
- The Salt Lake Tribune

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Xian Zhang / Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3

“On the basis of this performance of the Third Concerto, a thrilling journey is on the cards, for it was the Prokofiev that towered above anything else in this programme…
Where the Prokofiev was concerned, Kozhukhin’s fiery, firm-handed presence was the defining factor in shaping a performance of extraordinary power and drive. There was subtlety in the shading of its bittersweet lyricism, and lustre in its flamboyant hard-bitten irony.
Kozhukhin’s BBC series looks set to be unmissable.”
- The Scotsman

“Tackling all five Prokofiev Piano Concertos in one season is a hefty ask for any pianist, let alone a 25-year old who is having to learn most of them from scratch. But judging by Thursday’s first instalment of the cycle the BBC SSO has chosen well.

The first is often characterised as the cheeriest of the lot, but as in all Prokofiev there’s a sense that things aren’t quite as they seem. Denis Kozhukhin went for that sardonic smirk below the breezy surface: lyricism laced with steel, articulation precise enough to honour Prokofiev’s love of classical clarity and suitably throwaway to avoid sounding earnest. Earlier, he described the piano’s relationship with the orchestra in these concertos as a fight, but his playing steered more toward cheeky understatement than machismo or patriotic grandstanding.”
- The Herald

Recital at Montreux Chateau de Chillon / Haydn, Brahms, Liszt

“He excelled himself in Brahms’ superb sonata no.1, which is played all too rarely. Polyphony, power, touch; everything was there. With its plaintive melody, thundering depths, and crystal-clear counterpoint in the upper voices, the first movement flew by, bouncing around like a jack-in-a-box. Kozhukin evoked both intimacy and majesty, driving the Andante with fantastic phrasing, intelligence and purity, and infusing the finale with a touch of Beethoven. This repertoire was clearly made for him.”
– Concertclassic.com

MDR Musiksommer / Haydn, Brahms, Liszt

“Kozhukhin began with the dramatic and beautiful sounding Haydn sonata in E flat major… Kozhukhin showed himself to be a romantically minded pianist, concentrating on the emotional expressiveness of the piece.”
– Thüringische Landeszeitung

Juventus Festival / Haydn, Brahms, Liszt

“The audience was blown away by the Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin. He is the ridiculously talented winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition, one of the most prestigious in the world. The audience, hearing his virtuosity, the brilliance with which he interpreted his program and three encores without a score, was dazzled by his talent.”
– La Voix du Nord

Santander Summer Festival / Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1

“Denis Kozhukhin delivered a version of this beautiful score which was exceptional for its clarity of concept, the deepening of the composer’s ideas, and the mighty technical and expressive ability, which was demonstrated at all times without any difficulty.”
- Eldiariomontanes.es

Munich Herkulessaal / Haydn, Brahms, Liszt

“It quickly became apparent during his recital at the Herkulessaal that Denis Kozhukin is a marvellous pianist. Anyone who can play a selection from Liszt’s ‘Etudes d’exécution transcendente’ so brilliantly has no technical limitations. Anyone who can shape the various lines and layers of sound in the densely packed movement of Brahms’ Sonata in C major Op. 1 with such vividness, and without missing a single musical detail, demonstrates a truly substantial musical understanding that really gets to the bottom of the piece.

His Haydn was inspiring: Kozhukin measured the tone with such precision that the colours and contrasts were perfectly weighted, both in the lively opening movement and the austerely performed adagio.”
- Suddeutsche Zeitung

Recital at Theatre des Bouffes du Nord, Paris / Haydn, Schumann, Mussorgsky

“The second half was excellent. Kozhukin gave a dazzling performance of his compatriot Modest Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an exhibition’; creating a cosmic and grandiose vision with his resourceful playing, light touch and a palette of colours worthy of a young Sviatoslav Richter. Kozhukin attempted to hold back time, offering three encores which all confirmed his future promise: a breathtaking ‘Escalier du diable’ by Ligeti, a powerful performance of Taneïev, and to conclude, a peaceful arrangement of Bach by Siloti. Kozhukin is definitely one to watch.”
- Anaclase.com