Denis Kozhukhin

Bartók Piano Concerto No. 3 / Liverpool Philharmonic / Kahchun Won

“[…] Wong was joined by pianist Denis Kozhukhin for a spellbinding performance of Bartók’s Piano Concerto no.3. The playing throughout was assured and effortless and the interpretation restrained but never dull. Both pianist and conductor treated the musical details with such utter respect, and executed them with such precision, one could not fail to be drawn into this thoroughly engaging performance. In all three movements Wong balanced the orchestra to sheer perfection, the soloist always to the fore and never overpowered. The first movement was impressive in its range of dynamics, creating light and shade. It was full of drama: conductor and pianist had the same vision, each episode had its own character – individual, vivid and enchanting. The second movement was atmospheric, moody, ethereal. In the chordal textures of the piano writing the balance between the hands was exquisite, the melody projecting with crystal-clear clarity. Kozhukhin was completely lost in the music, in the birdsong, in the reverie he’d created. There was gentle and effective use of Rubato, which added another dimension to this reading. Without a chance to breathe, they launched straight into a strongly rhythmic final movement. Full of bold colours, this astutely phrased finale was simply dazzling.

Grieg’s “Spring” from Lyric Pieces, was given as encore. The phrasing was simple and delicate, and the judiciously balanced hands allowed the bell-like tone of the melody to carry with purity. […] ”

Read full review on bachtrack.com

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 / National Symphony Orchestra / cond. Carlos Miguel Prieto

“[…] The winner of the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Kozhukhin plays with all the authority one could want: There’s a palpable firmness to the way he touches the notes. What he offers is a 21st-century take on Russian fireworks, dazzling and strong yet emphasizing musicality over circus tricks even in the astonishing cadenza — and all with an underlying sense of cleanness and precision: fireworks without any smoke to obscure the picture. […] ”

Read the full review on The Washington Post 

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.3 / Philharmonia Orchestra / cond. Paavo Järvi

[…] In performing Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto, it was the Russian Denis Kozhukhin who replaced Khatia Buniatishvili as soloist. Kozhukhin’s reputation may not be as lofty as what some of the audience tonight might have desired, but this was a concern fated to be futile. At times sensitive, at times visceral, and at times both in an entirely convincing way, Kozhukhin’s pianism demonstrated an immersive musical narrative, complemented with his impeccably crystal-clear technique. Although his audible murmuring was initially worrisome, these vocal intrusions were only proof of Kozhukhin’s musical confidence, as he cadenced through the variegated moods and shapes of Rachmaninov’s maze with natural fervour; musically, any indication of self-consciousness was largely kept at bay. Järvi’s empathic accompaniment proved invaluable, as even the minutest of Kozhukhin’s expressions were attended. Yet this is not to suggest the wanting of orchestral beef. In the soaring coda of the Finale, neither Kozhukhin nor the orchestra compromised any sort of their presence, as the work concluded triumphantly. […]
Read the full review on Bachtrack.com

Denis Kozhukhin @ Wigmore Hall, London

“His tour de force, though, was an utterly mesmerising account of Gershwin’s arrangement of his own Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano. The piece requires the touch of a master, as everything that is in the full version is there, and the pianist needs to bring out the solo piano part as well as supply the crossrhythms of the orchestra with just two hands, and Kozhukhin achieved it summa cum laude, taking some portions at breakneck speed with stunning accuracy and attack – at one point, even lifting himself off the piano stool. It was perhaps as well that his encore – a gentle and sensitive account of Grieg’s Til våren allowed the audience to get their breaths.”

Read the full review on musicomh.com

Grieg: Piano Concerto / London Philharmonic / cond. Vladimir Jurowski

“Splendid presentation at Ibermúsica by Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin, another magnificent representative of the inexhaustible Russian quarry and who offered the beautiful piano concert by Grieg. The first movement highlighted the personality, sound quality, warm and expressive phrasing, all with that exuberance typical of the Russian school, also counting on a fine accompaniment of Jurowski… The lyrical intensity, the effusion and the enveloping expression of Kozhukhin were combined with their sensitivity in the Adagio, again accompanied with exquisiteness by Jurowski. The virtuosity of the third movement with its Norwegian folk dance airs was fully delivered by the Russian pianist, vibrant and rapturous, that all together with orchestra and conductor culminated in a brilliant finale.”

Read the full review on codalario.com

CD Review: Kozhukhin plays Brahms

“His new recording on Pentatone, built around Brahms’s 10 Ballades and op. 116 Fantasies, demonstrates that, on disc at least, he’s more than a flash-in-the-pan sensation: Kozhukhin is…a furor pianist”

“…to hear him play is to experience some of the most thoughtful, sensitive, and focused pianism out there.”

“There’s also an intensity to Kozhukhin’s playing that doesn’t transfer to disc all that often: the inwardness of a live performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat – especially in quiet moments – is very much present here, too.”

Read the full review on artsfuse.org

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. van Zweden