Denis Kozhukhin

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

Queen Elisabeth Competition

“Denis Kozhukhin performed Haydn’s Sonata in E flat major Hob. XVI:49 with such subtlety, such carefully-judged pacing and such attention to detail that one felt transported back to the Classical period. His rendition of ‘Target’, too, came across as a thoughtfully conceived interpretation. But it was his rendition of Prokofiev’s Second Concerto that stole the show – and the competition. The work evolved like an epic journey, and throughout everything was perfectly paced so that dramatic climaxes were unleashed with force of a tornado.”
- International Piano Magazine, July/August 2010

“It rapidly became obvious to both audience and jury during Denis Kozhukhin’s performance that he unquestionably had that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, so impossible to define, which characterises a truly musical personality, standing head and shoulders above the competition, talented though they all were.

To begin, Kozhukhin played Haydn’s piano sonata in E flat major. He played with such serenity and mastery of both technique and effects; every element of the sonata was given its proper place. After an opening of extreme lightness, delicacy and tenderness, the tone grew in richness. This was followed by the set work, ‘Target’, by the 23 year old Korean composer Jeon Minje. In this complex piece of multiple realities and percussive impressions, Denis Kozhukhin really made himself heard. Not just in the literal sense, but in the figurative sense also, giving a highly personal performance of a work which he had made his own in the space of just one week. His final piece, like two other competitors, was Prokofiev’s 2nd piano concerto. He had such presence and such authority; inspiring an orchestra and a conductor who had not always shared the artistic vision of and close relationship with the other candidates. In a wonderful dialogue with the orchestra, Kozhukhin revealed the many facets and treasures of this concerto, which in turn revealed what a marvellous musician Kozhukhin himself is.”
- Luxembourger Wort, May 2010

“As his performance progressed, it became more and more obvious that Kozhukhin paired his musicality with an integrity and a humanity that guard him from the danger of becoming a piano-playing machine. His inner calm never deserted him, even in the wild developments of Prokofiev’s 2nd piano concerto, or the series of percussive chords in the set piece ‘Target’ by Jeon Minje. The Orchestre National itself was won over by his natural authority, and delivered a faultless performance for him, allowing him to deploy his full range of aural wizardry – but in his own particular style; simple and devoid of superfluity. The various phrases in the Haydn sonata were imbued with colour, and responded one to another other in perfectly balanced dialogue between right and left hands. Both the pieces and the overall programme showed an intelligence of construction, building an arch from the alpha of the Haydn to the omega of the Prokofiev. By 11.30pm on Saturday 29th May, there could be no doubt: the Queen Elisabeth piano competition of 2010 had found its winner.”
- Le Soir, May 2010

“Denis Kozhukhin was incontestably the winner. Those who had already heard him in the semi-finals had singled him out. … and we sensed from the very first bars of his initial Haydn sonata that he was indeed outstanding: a true musician, in fact. His technique, his virtuosity, his complete control of the tone and the clarity of his interpretation were means to serve the music, and not ends in themselves.

He demonstrated a calm maturity, and entered into a real dialogue with the orchestra in Prokofiev’s 2nd piano concerto, spurring them on. This was a magnificent partnership between soloist and orchestra. Kozhukhin was also clearly very aware of, and motivated by, the audience’s presence, and built up a wonderful relationship with them.”
- La Voix, May 2010

“Denis Kozhukhin’s win is incontestable, and is compounded by his incredible popular success. The Russian pianist plotted a flawless route through the competition, where his radiant musicality was unceasingly served by stunning technical mastery. There is a joy in his playing which drives him right to the very essence of the possibilities contained within a score.

At the age of only 23, he is already in the company of the greats with his combination of moral strength and gentleness.”
- Le Soir, May 2010

“It is very difficult to sum up (or indeed analyse) Denis Kozhukhin’s playing in writing. His performance of Haydn’s piano sonata in E flat major, Hob.XVI:49, was the very essence of clarity, simplicity and wit. But why? Was it the tone? The tempo? We weren’t hearing a particular pianistic timbre, but rather the voice of someone speaking, or of a soul expressing itself. But if you listened carefully, you could identify a peaceful tone, full of nuance, colour and intensity; faithful in the utmost to the score. The tempo was simply right – slower than the extravagant speeds we had encountered over the past weeks from other competitors – a sign that the pianist felt connected with the composer’s intentions, and was confident in his interpretation. The final minuet, simple in the extreme (even a beginner could play it) was simply electrifying, and was followed by complete silence from the audience.

Kozhukhin’s was the 12th interpretation of ‘Target’ to be heard, which incidentally wasn’t played from memory by any of the competitors. His performance revealed what could well be the piece’s defining structure: a succession of individual tableaux, each with its own characteristic ambience, and through which the visionary power of the pianist unveiled a hitherto undiscovered lyricism and an overbearing tension (like a galvanised Marin Alsop!). After a sombre and inspired cadence came a dazzling conclusion.

Kozhukhin gave the second performance of Prokofiev’s 2nd piano concerto that night; it was similar to that of Claire Huangci in its interpretation, but at the polar opposite in its energy. From the opening melody, Denis whisked all those around him – conductor, orchestra, audience and jury – off on an epic adventure whose itinerary, although theoretically familiar, gradually seemed to enter the unknown. The scherzo had an integrity of its own, delivered without excessive haste, like a dream. The intermezzo was taken to the edge of the extreme: a dance for bears who finally took their leave on the tips of their toes. The finale was broad, powerful, at its ease, and organically connected with the orchestra; the final presto was dazzling. Kozhukhin received a standing ovation from an enraptured audience.”
- La Libre Belgique, May 2010