Vladimir Mogilevsky (Piano)

“The true successor of Liszt” (“Europa-Express”), “Extraordinary and splendid” (“Baleares”), “Virtuoso and an authentic Musician” (“Rheinische Post”), “A pianist of world class”, “A congenial performer” (“Lübecker Nachrichten”), “Russian pianist is magnificent” (“The Reader”), “Mogilevsky on the way to become a great pianist” (“West-Deutsche Rundfunk”).

Critics and listeners always celebrated individuality and fresh interpretations of Vladimir Mogilevsky, its absolute authenticity and always having his personal opinion and a new interpretation of what would seem to have long been known and disclosed.

Mogilevsky is an exceptionally versatile artist with a repertoire from Bach to contemporary music always presenting an interesting concept and idea. Always on the search for worthwhile rarities, Mogilevsky brings unknown works of the great composers to life besides the standard repertoire.

Born in Moscow, the Gnessin Music School discovered his exceptional talent when he was five. At the age of only eight, he started his concert career including pieces written specially for him in his repertoire at prestigious festivals in Moscow. He keeps up this tradition, and receives works from well-known composers from all over the world. Graduating from the Gnessin Music Academy with the highest honours as a concert pianist, settled in Germany in 1995.

Mogilevsky has won prizes at numerous international festivals and competitions. Among others, he won Second Prize as well as the Special Prize “for the best interpretation of a Beethoven Sonata” at the International Piano Competition in Porto. After his triumph in Porto, he made his debuts in the most prestigious and most important concert halls in Germany,such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin (Grand Hall) (more than 100 concerts only in Berlin during 16 years), Münchener Philharmonie, Herkulessaal München, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Hamburger Laeiszhalle, Bremer Glocke, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Theater Solingen, Stadthalle Leonberg, Schloss Kiel, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Paderhalle Paderborn, Nikolaisaal Potsdam, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Konzerthaus Dortmund, historical Stadthalle Wuppertal, Stadthalle in Weimar, Musik- and Congresshalle in Lübeck, Stadthalle Magdeburg, Ötkerhalle Bielefeld, Gürzenich Köln, “Forum” Leverkusen, Georg- Friedrich-Händel-Halle Halle/Saale, Barocksaal Rostock, Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg and nearly every European country, Israel, Turkey, China, Mexico and in South Africa.

Mogilevsky is also very much in demand as a chamber musician. His partners include Matt Haimowitz (cello), and also Vadim Repin (violin). His recital with Vadim Repin during the Ohrid International Summer Festival in 1998 was awarded the Grand Prize “for the best festival concert” by the jury. For the forthcoming concert seasons Repin and Mogilevsky have plans to continue their collaboration.

Because of his great success at the Liszt Piano Festival in Bonn, Mogilevsky was invited to give five concerts in 2002 in the house of Franz Liszt in Weimar, on Liszt’s own Bechstein Grand, after which Mogilevsky was warmly welcomed and praised by the composer’s great-granddaughter.

After outstanding success of his Solo Debut Recital in the Berlin Philharmonie in January 2004, Mogilevsky can be heard often in the Berlin Philharmonie Hall, the Great Hall of Berlin Konzerthaus and in the most prestigious halls in Germany.

Apart from his concert activities, Mogilevsky frequently plays for radio and television. On television, his Liszt Recital, a two-part Beethoven Recital and a two-part Duo Recital with Vadim Repin (Sonatas by Mozart, Ravel, Grieg and pieces by Khrennikov) have been broadcast many times. His live concert on the radio station Deutsche Welle has frequently been re-broadcast world-wide and a CD of it has been issued. His CD “One day in the studio”, has been played on West Deutsche Rundfunk. His recording on 12 historic pianos, including on which Mozart and Beethoven had played was published as CD. He also gave a concert at the historic piano of Beethoven which was an event in the cultural life.

At the request of Michel Morales Escobar, winner of Oscar in the Short Films Category, Mogilevsky played for a Music Video – “A Dream in Venice”. This was shot in Venice, with Mogilevsky playing Liszt’s Liebestraum as well as acting.

With his performances Vladimir Mogilevsky on the occasion of several events has inspired important personalities from the national and international politics, economy and culture. His interpretations have aroused enthusiasm for persons as President of Germany Johannes Rau, Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder, Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany Klaus Kinkel and Vice Premier of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitri Rogosin.

Apart from concerts, Vladimir Mogilevsky also gives master classes around the world, writes special methodic books and examination books for music schools, is a member of juries of international competitions. He is interested in jazz, improvises and composes his own music. Legendary Oscar Peterson, with whom Vladimir met and to whom dedicated several of his works, praised the music of Mogilevsky, personally placing these works in his “Oscar Peterson Archive” in the National Library of Canada in 1997.
Vladimir Mogilevsky is the official and exclusive Steinway & Sons Artist as from 2000.

In December 2004 Vladimir Mogilevsky was awarded the International Prize “for the Outstanding Achievements in Musical Culture” in Berlin.

Voices from the Press

Russian pianist is magnificent … his performance of Beethoven’s piano Sonata c minor „… with a mixture of fire and discipline, reminding me of the great performances of Barenboim and Ashkenazy”

… the first half ended with the Moonlight Sonata in which Mogilevsky carried his audience to the heights of his own strong feelings – this ability perhaps explains why he requires a police escort to fight off the fans when he performs in his home town of Moscow

… the Dante Sonata by Liszt was unbelievable – it was as though Liszt were there himself .

… only few pianists can pack so much emotion into a demanding programme. The Reader

Virtuoso and an authentic Musician … The professional pianist Vladimir Mogilevsky proved himself to be not only a virtuoso but also a real authentic musician. The Mogilevsky’s interpretation of the Schubert’s songs in the arrangement by Franz Liszt, has not let feel any absence of a human voice. In the range from the contemplative unanimity up to the full sound virtuosity, the pianist demonstrated his technical and musical talent as well as the potential of the instrument. Rheinische Post

Passion which reigns in concealment … Crucial for Vladimir Mogilevsky is, „what the composer, whom one cannot ask anymore in the most cases, would like to say“. A piano recital with a soloist, who has easily earned the sympathy of the audience through his modesty in appearance and the opulence of his artistic interpretation. Rheinische Post

Elegance and ecstatical reeling of keys – the russian pianist showed brilliance in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf First performance of the 2. piano concerto by Tchaikovsky in the Mogilevsky’s own edition … Wide scale dynamic intensifications have brought a lot of pulling suction force in the performance. In the cadenza the pianist showed the outright brilliance and thundered himself in a true ecstatical reeling of keys. But then he found his way to the lyric nuances in the wonderful „Andante non troppo“, structured as a triple part concert form. Then in the finale the pianist took care for the energetic cheerfulness, with the elegance of his pianistic style. Westdeutsche Zeitung

… I have listened to your CD „Vladimir Mogilevsky Piano Solo – One day in the studio“ with great pleasure and approval and can only congratulate you very warmly. The President of Germany, Johannes Rau

Performance of „The Burleske“ by Richard Strauß … Then Vladimir Mogilevsky took a seat at the grand piano and dashed with perfectly fine technique and vigorously gripping impetus through the splitterig humorous but at the same time also exceedingly virtuoso and breaking out „Burleske“: pianistic delicacy which was rewarded by a long applause. Iserlohner Kreisanzeiger

Vladimir Mogilevsky is the pianist of world class Performance of the 19. piano concerto by Mozart … It is not surprising when a virtuoso like Vladimir Mogilevsky lets sparkle the endless runs and lets thunder the orchestral accords, however that he draws out of a grand piano the subtly differentiated sounds as from the Hammerklavier of Mozart’s style, then this really arouses the unbelieving astonishment. … With a placid cheeriness Mogilevsky varied finely nuanciated the tempo und sound, but without losing the characteristic style of the musical logic. Schwerter Zeitung

Vladimir Mogilevsky is extraordinary and splendid Baleares, Spain

The applause for the extraordinary pianist lasted for several minutes … owing to the top-class und diversified concert. Neuss – Grevenbroicher Zeitung

… The listeners experienced at the Steinway grand piano a virtuoso, fascinating by his brilliant playing technique, by nearly contemplative lingering at the lyrical moments, as well as by the gripping-racy grasp in the sound eruptions. A subtle touch feeling as well as an almost to the diabolical tending pathos, all had its sense there. Rheinische Post

… The „Burleske“ by Strauss is a showpiece for a pianist with swift fingers and joy in much handwork. The young soloist Vladimir Mogilevsky is faithful to the tradition of virtuosity in his profession, he is an acrobat of the piano,who enchants plentiful fireworks for his audience. Westfalenpost

Vladimir Mogilevsky or The Slavic Spirit. The russian pianist conquered the Na Loba Center. … Great emotions have inflamed in the audience at the performance of the masterpiece „Wanderer-Fantasie“ by Schubert, which is one of his most beautiful pieces, but at the same time one of his most difficult for a pianist. … Still in the spell of russian inspiration, the pianist has performed Rachmaninov with the elegance, brilliance and magnificence. A grandiose Talent ! Midi Libre, France

Mogilevsky on the way to become a great pianist … He has all the tools of a true virtuoso, the strength and the perfectly applied technique, which sometimes produces a miraculous impression – somehow makes a mysterious, uneasy feeling: a devilish-diabolical art of finger skills, so to say. His play is characterised by passion and perfection. But in some cases more is less, and sometimes lesser perfection can yield better music. And it is almost impeccable, how Mogilevsky assigns dynamics to the different voices, and also the positioning of melodic curves is very well thought out. Yet in the romantic compositions like the „Consolation“ by Liszt there is something, for which the intellectual elaboration is rather not the primary tool, something, which can be rather found between the note lines – a breeze of sensuality, a touch of bliss. One cannot produce this feeling simply by a proper change of pedal, on the contrary, the art is in keeping sometimes a melodic tone or a carrying bass a little bit longer then prescribed; and this missing something is also the art, the art to take the secondary improvisatory voices as they are just coming, a little bit more natural and unruly, like Vladimir’s hair curls, which can be seen on the picture of the CD cover. West-Deutsche Rundfunk

The Mogilevsky’s concert in the conservatory hall had the greatest success Noordwes gazette, Süd – Afrika

The true successor of Liszt. Europe – Express
Mephisto races through the piano … After the break begun then an hour of the virtuoso: with the Liszt’s arrangements Mogilevsky ignited the pianistic fireworks. In the „Danse macabre“, which was originally an orchestral piece, he plowed through all the registers, all the keys of the grand piano, from the deepest roughest basses up to the finest soprano. A show piece of staggering madness, a grandiose, opulent thunder. In its outer part, the „Mephisto-Walzer“ developed virtually the demonic traits, violent and ravishing at the same time, painted in the gloomy-glaring colours, whereas the middle part unfolded its lyrical mood, as also happened in the Hungarian Rhapsody before it. Then the thunderous applause with the bravo-calls in between, – the grand piano of the chamber music hall must have asked for a vacation. Stadtanzeiger Bonn

The pianist Vladimir Mogilevsky plays just with his left hand. And it sounds phantastically! „A festival of the left hand“ in the Tonhalle of Düsseldorf. Bild

Phantastic fireworks A musical delicacy was afterwards the piano concerto Nr.19 by Mozart, in which the nice young soloist showed his brilliant skills. Schwerter Rundschau

Fierce dance of death: „Lisztoso“ in the Beethoven house … The audience was drawn by a spectacular program – that was enough reason, why the chamber music hall of the Beethoven house has been sold out completely for the performance of Vladimir Mogilevsky there, which was a part of the summer musical performance series. „The Dances“ was the slogan of this „Lisztoso“-evening, which was shaped by the young russian pianist with his good sense for dramatical intensifications: After the first part of the concert, dedicated mainly to the soft gentle beauty, there followed after the break, the whole repertoire of the Liszt’s thundering virtuosity. Yet already the nimble serenity of the introductory 12 Gräzer Walzer by Franz Schubert has got the weight and depth in the Mogilevsky’s play, which completely belongs to the russian pianistic school. And the charmful „Suite Bergamasque“ by Debussy did not sound in any way only as an ethereal reverie, but rather similarly sturdy gripping as it is demanded from the certain parts of the Prelude und Passepied. The pianist has let the moonlight sparkle mysteriously and tenderly in the over- strained „Claire de Luna“. Pleasant faintness instead of forced sentimentality – in this way the audience could trace best the hoveringly implied but never tangible nature feeling. The four Waltzes by Chopin were the worthy conclusion of the first part: tender melancholy, dapped by Mogilevsky airily and in damped colours. Yet the fulminating octave repetitions of the „Grande Valse brillante“ Es-Dur, put in contrast to the soft eighths-garlands, indicated already the coming next of the second part of the program. Here was the „Danse macabre“ by Camille Saint-Saens in the centre of the music pieces pianistically beefed up by Liszt: a weird rain of clattering bones and sneering skulls, which were turning itself increasingly fiercely, under the resolute handwork of the pianist. The piano-shattering power play a la Liszt characterized, to the pleasure of the audience loving virtuosity, also the Paraphrase to the oper „Eugen Onegin“ by Tchaikovsky and the concluding „Mephisto–Walzer“ Nr.1 A- Dur. The 32 year old Vladimir Mogilevsky at the grand piano created a furore, in spite of his calm, non-theatrical behaviour on the stage. Generalanzeiger Bonn

Passion for notes Performance of the 1. Piano Concerto by Chopin op.11 Vladimir Mogilevsky has inspired the audience with his musical interpretations and aroused thereby the impression, as if there were nothing easier in the world as to play piano. Schwerter Zeitung

Pianist Vladimir Mogilevsky brillianced as an excellent Chopin performer in the baroque hall of the Mansion House. The Chopin recital has inspired a great ardor in the Hasselburg

… Rhythmic differentiation, chromatics with richness of modulations and demonic poetics of the sound distinguish the perfectly worked out pianistic style of Frédéric Chopin. Vladimir Mogilevsky showed himself to be a congenial performer for the magic of harmony and the richness of ornamentation, so distinctive for this composer. In this role Mogilevsky convinced the audience masterfully and with great elan, playing his Chopin concert in the baroque hall of the Mansion House of Hasselburg.

… In Hasselburg he played Chopin very energetically, but at the same time all the tones, even in the sound agglomerations, remained clear and audible. This applied also for the development of different themes.

… Charmingly and fully of luminous power, played Mogilevsky the Ballade Nr.1 g-moll, op.23. The great dramatic art, the brutality and the tragic end of the poem, were audible in his performance. And in the Seven Nocturnes he presented his brilliant interpretation of the lyrical melodic music. Splendidly, sonorously and with an easy hand, he played the Variations sur un air national allemand in the beginning of his program. He also let the music sparkle brilliantly in Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante Es-Dur op.22, playing the first part of this piece with the full emotions, in the mood of the tender nocturne, and the second part as an unusual concert piece. It chimed, chromatically sparkling by the finger acrobatics, the Boléro op.19, as well as the gloomy Polonaise es-Moll op.26 Nr.2, and the rhythmically breaking out Polonaise fis-moll op.44. Mogilevsky developed very playfully the cheerful „Souvenir de Paganini“ and presented with great passion the Fantaisie Impromptue cis-Moll op.66.

… The audience honoured the young pianist very enthusiastically and ‘clapped out’ with the delighted applause three different bonus pieces. Lübecker Nachrichten

Piano Concertos with orchestra
Haydn -Dur

Mozart Dur, KV 459 ( Nr.19 )
—- A-Dur, KV 488 ( Nr.23 )
—- C-Dur, KV 503 ( Nr.25 ) ( Mogilevskys own Cadenza or by Schnittke)
—- B-Dur, KV 595 ( Nr.27 )
Beethoven —- B-Dur, op.19 ( Nr.2 )
Schubert —- Adagio und Rondo F-Dur D 487 ( arr. for piano with orchestra )
Chopin —- e-moll, op.11 ( Nr.1 )
—- Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, op.22
Tchaikovsky —- b-moll, op.23 ( Nr.1 )
—- G-Dur, op.44 ( Nr.2 ) (Mogilevsky’s own edition,premiere in 1998 in the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf)
Darius Milhaud —- Nr.1 (premiere performance in USSR)
Richard Strauss —- „Burleske“ d-moll
Hindemith —- Konzertmusik (1930) für Klavier,Blechbläser und Harfe

Bartok —- G-Dur ( Nr.2 )
Tikhon Khrennikov —- C-Dur ( Nr.3 )
Dmitri Shostakovich —- c-moll ( Nr.1 ) op.35