Denis Kozhukhin

Denis Kozhukhin makes his debut with BBC Symphony Orchestra

Denis Kozhukhin gives his debut performance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre on 23 May 2015. Conducted by the orchestra’s Chief Conductor, Sakari Oramo, Kozhukhin will perform Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.4.

Kozhukhin gives another debut performance on 8 May with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast under the baton of Jamie Phillips, when he will perform Prokofiev Piano Sonata No.3.

On 31 May, Kozhukhin travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the Gilmore Piano Festival. The performance will include Haydn Piano Sonata in F major, Brahms 7 Fantasies and Prokofiev Piano Sonata No.8.

Denis Kozhukhin makes his debut with OSESP conducted by Marin Alsop

Denis Kozhukhin makes his debut with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo performing Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 under the baton of Marin Alsop on 16, 17 and 18 April. Kozhukhin will give all three performances of the concerto at the Sala São Paulo and will return to the Sala São Paulo on 19 April for a solo recital. The recital will feature Brahms 7 Fantasias, Op.116, Liszt Venezia e Napoli, Liszt Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude and Prokofiev Piano Sonata No.8.

Later in April, Kozhukhin returns to Berlin for two concerts at the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival at the Jewish Museum Berlin. On 22 April, Kozhukhin will perform Schumann Piano Trio No. 2 alongside Kathrin Rabus and Alexander Knyazev, and on 23 April he will perform Schubert Fantasia in C major with violinist Michael Barenboim.

Reviews: Brahms 7 Fantasien Op.116 and Franck Violin Sonata in Grosser Saal, Berlin

On Wednesday 1st of April Denis replaced Martha Argerich in the Grosser Saal, Berlin. He performed Brahms 7 Fantasien Op.116 in the first half and was joined by violinist Gidon Kremer after the interval for Franck Violin Sonata in A major. Here’s what the critics had to say…

Tagesspiegel

DE – Fest der Farben. Vollständig stimmig wirkt Denis Kozhukhins Vortrag von Johannes Brahms’ Fantasien für Klavier, die er selbstbewusst mit kernig-energetischem Anschlag in den Auftrittsapplaus setzt: Kraft, Klarheit und ein beeindruckend souveränes Formgefühl verbindet er mit der Fähigkeit, auch zarteste Emotionen ohne jegliche Sentimentalität zum Ausdruck zu bringen.

Der Violinsonate von César Franck tut der ebenso aufmerksame wie respektvolle Dialog zwischen Kremer und Kozhukhin gut: Zwingend in der Form und durch die Geige in warme, schwere Farben getaucht, wird sie zum erhofften Fest.“

ENG – Celebration of colours. Entirely consistent was Denis Kozhukhin’s account of Johannes Brahms‘ Phantasies for piano which he performed self-confidently and with a full-bodied energetic touch: He combines power, clarity and an impressively masterful sense of form with the ability to express even the most tender of emotions without any sentimentality.

The equally attentive and respectful dialogue between Kremer and Kozhukhin benefits César Franck’s violin sonata: Imperative in its form and bathed in warm, heavy colours by the violin, it turns into the hoped-for celebration.”

Der neue Merker

DE – [Kozhukhin] zeigt, dass er zu Recht zu den vielversprechendsten Talenten gezählt wird. Auch wird schnell deutlich, dass es ihm nur um die Musik geht. Kein Gramm Selbstgefälligkeit, kein Krümel Show! Denis Kozhukhin macht hier Musik und sonst gar nichts, macht es mit stupender Technik und einem angenehm sinnlichen, doch nie süßlichen Gefühl für Romantik.

Hier also ein junger Löwe mit Power, bald aber auch mit Samtpfoten. Hier [in Brahms 7 Fantasien Op.116] lässt es Kozhukhin tänzerisch schillern, um dann die letzte Fantasie in Brahms Sinne auszuhauchen. Der junge Künstler hat  also die Noten und Phrasierungen nicht nur in den Fingern, sondern auch in Herz und Hirn. Wenn er diesen Weg weitergeht, wird er ein Star.”

ENG – Kozhukhin shows that he is rightly being counted amongst the most promising talents. It also becomes clear very quickly that it’s all about the music for him. There is no ounce of smugness or show! Denis Kozhukhin makes music and nothing else and he does it with a stupendous technique and a pleasantly sensual, but never sweetly feeling for romance.

Here then a young lion with power, but also with velvety paws. He lets Brahms’ 7 Phantasies fluoresce like a dance and then exhales the last phantasy as Brahms would have wished. The young musician thus has the notes and the phrasing not only in his fingers, but also in his heart and mind. If he continues on this path, he’ll be a star,”

RBB Kultur

DE – Ein sehr selbstbewusster Pianist, der aber auch zuhören kann, wie sich in Francks Violinsonate herausstellte…. Kozhukhin, der sehr farbig und sinnlich spielte.

ENG – A self-confident pianist who is also able to listen as was demonstrated later in the Franck sonata…Kozhukhin’s playing was sensual and full of colours.

Die Presse

DE – In Berlin präsentierte er [Kozhukhin] sich als überaus sensibler Gestalter der Brahms-Fantasien Opus 116, deren herbstlichen Ton er mit einer für sein Alter schon erstaunlichen Reife traf.“

ENG – Kozhukhin presented himself in Berlin with an exquisitely sensitive shaping of the Brahms Phantasies Op.116, the autumnal note of which he struck with a maturity quite astonishing for his age.”

Denis Kozhukhin steps in to replace Martha Argerich at the Berlin Philharmonie

Denis will replace Martha Argerich this evening in the Grosser Saal of the Berlin Philharmonie. Kozhukhin will perform Brahms 7 Fantasien, Op.116 in the first half of the recital and, after the interval, will join violinist Gidon Kremer for Franck Violin Sonata in A major. For more details, please follow this link: http://www.staatsoper-berlin.de/de_DE/calendar-2014-2015/duo-recital.12254274

Denis returns for five concerts with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester

Having made his debut with the orchestra last season, Denis Kozhukhin returns to the Hallé at the end of March for five performances of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1. Playing under the baton of Karl-Heinz Steffens, Denis gives three concerts at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall (25, 26 and 29 March), and also at Sheffield City Hall (27 March) and Westmorland Hall, Kendal (28 March).

Also this month, Denis returns to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark for two concerts on 19 and 20 March. Having given solo recitals at the Museum in February 2013, he returns this time not only to perform solo works by Haydn and Brahms but also Dvořák Piano Quintet with the Pavel Haas Quartet.

Watch a video of Denis playing Prokofiev created by the Louisiana Museum.

Denis is ‘guest of honour’ at Flagey Piano Days Festival, Belgium

Denis Kozhukhin will be ‘guest of honour’ at this year’s Flagey Piano Days Festival, in Brussels, Belgium. As part of this role, he will give a recital on the 5^th of February featuring works by Haydn, Schubert, Brahms, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, which will be broadcast live on Musiq’3, as well as conducting a masterclass. Denis will also perform Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège under the baton of Fayçal Karoui, which will be part of the Festival’s closing concert also broadcast live.

“When they ask me to do a master class, I never say no. Because when I was a student, I myself learned a great deal from these classes, from a range of teachers and musicians. They never involve big ideas, I consider the teachings of a master class to be more like a seed that you plant, something that you will continue to reflect on.”

Also this month, Denis will make his concerto debut with three orchestras. On 12 and 13 February, he will perform Tchaikovksy Piano Concerto No.1 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and Vassily Sinaisky at the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès. On 22 February, he will join the CBSO Youth Orchestra and Edward Gardner for a performance of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1 at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. Denis will again perform with Sinaisky on 27 February, when he makes his debut with the Beethoven Orchester Bonn performing Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 at the Beethovenhalle.

Denis debuts with Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pflaz & returns to Seattle Symphony

Denis starts the New Year with a debut, with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pflaz on 18 January. Under the baton of Karl-Heinz Steffens, he will perform Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 at the Pfalzbau in Ludwigshafen.

Later in the month, Denis returns to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra where he first performed in January 2013. On this visit, Kozhukhin will give two performances of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 with the orchestra’s Music Director, Ludovic Morlot, on 29 and 31 January at Benaroya Hall.