In the Chair (1) : Evgeny Kissin

Who is Evgeny Kissin?

One of the greatest contemporary classical pianists in the world today.

Chopin's 200th Anniversary Concert, Warsaw, Poland - 27th February 2010

Evgeny Kissin was born in Moscow on 10 October 1971 and began to play by ear and improvise on the piano at the age of two. At six years old, he entered a special school for gifted children, the Moscow Gnessin School of Music, where he was a student of Anna Pavlovna Kantor, who has remained his only teacher to this day.  At the age of ten, he made his concerto debut playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto K. 466 and gave his first solo recital in Moscow one year later. He came to international attention in March 1984 when, at the age of twelve, he performed Chopin’s Piano Concertos 1 and 2 in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Moscow State Philharmonic under Dmitri Kitaenko. This concert was recorded live by Melodia, and a two-LP album was released the following year. During the next two years, several Kissin performances in Moscow were recorded live and five more LPs were released by Melodia.

Today Kissin is one of the most revered classical pianists in the world.  He plays to packed audiences and travels extensively to all corners of the globe.  His present schedule is booked through to 2012 with hardly a ticket to be found, such is his popularity.

He first came to my attention after watching "The Gift of Music", directed by Christopher Nupen, in which Nupen interviews Kissin about his childhood and  follows through to his solo BBC Promenade Concert in London in 1990, when he was the first solo artist ever to be invited to perform at the Proms in the  Royal Albert Hall.

His performances astounded me and I was hooked from that day forward. 

Born gifted is an understatement.  His performances as a child pianist were, and still are, extraordinary and he is definitely a genius in my opinion. As an artist he plays with such depth of poetry and meaning, he shows who he is through his interpretations and just listening to him play tells you everything you need to know about the real man and what lies beneath the persona.

Critics who hold any reservations at all about the artistry of Evgeny Kissin face a delicate challenge in stating their case. Mr Kissin is an indisputably superb pianist, not just a technician of astonishing virtuosity but a deeply feeling and communicative musician — he is unquestionably a phenomenal talent.

His recent stance against the BBC regarding bias against Israel I admire tremendously - many people have been surprised by this because they thought he was an introverted and shy person. They didn't expect him to speak out about anything political. Many highly acclaimed people have written to me since it was published on my website, telling me how much respect they have for Kissin for him speaking up on behalf of the Jewish people. He is of the highest intellectual calibre imaginable in every which way.

His latest CD of Yiddish poetry is something else of fascination - never did we fans expect this from him.  It is a complete bonus for us all and a wonderful one at that. I have been in contact with him regarding these Yiddish poems and he has agreed to provide English translations of as many as possible so that their stunning beauty can be shared with many more people, thus enabling them to enjoy these phenomenal works of art also.

http://www.kissin.dk/kissinniborski.html

 Above, Evgeny Kissin with the Yiddish linguist, the author of the Yiddish-French Dictionary, Yitzhok Niborski - 1st April 2010.  (Hopefully in negotiation regarding translations haha!!!)

Dr Eveny Kissin . . .  Thank You for the Music, the Poetry, the insight into your political stance and the immense support you give to your fans.   We all live in awe of you!

To check out updates in Kissin's world visit my website: http://evgenykissinfansite.co.uk/