Mikhail Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev was born on 14 April 1957 in Arkhangelsk and grew up in a musical family in Kazan. He studied at the Moscow Central Music School and at the Moscow Conservatory under Jacob Flier and Lev Vlasenko. In 1978, at the age of twenty‑one, he won the Gold Medal and First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Since then, his career as soloist and recitalist has taken him to the world’s leading orchestras and concert stages. Widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of his generation, he commands a broad repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music, which he performs with technical mastery and deep musical insight.

In 1990 he founded the Russian National Orchestra with the support of Mikhail Gorbachev; this was the first independent orchestra in Russia. He served as its music director and later as principal conductor. As a conductor he regularly collaborates with leading ensembles, and in 2006 he created the Mikhail Pletnev Fund to support national culture. In 2022 he founded the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra.

His numerous recordings for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon have received many awards, including the 2005 Grammy for his own transcription of Prokofiev’s “Cinderella” and a Gramophone Award for his Scarlatti Sonatas. Pletnev’s playing combines virtuosic brilliance with intellectual depth and a highly individual sound; he is considered one of the most important musicians of our time.