Leonard Kuzmin
Pianist
Critically acclaimed as one of the greatest pianists of this ˆor
anyˆ
century (Abram Chasins), LEONID KUZMIN has emerged as a consummate
virtuoso
in the great tradition of 19th century pianists.
Winner of the American Music Scholarship International Piano Competition
in
1984 and the Stravinsky International Piano Competition in 1985,
LEONID
KUZMIN was hailed as a first class pianist by the New York Times,
after his
New York debut in 1985.
During the past seasons, such praise and recognition has followed
LEONID
KUZMIN in over a thousand concerts, as a soloist with orchestra
and in
recitals.
LEONID KUZMIN performed two years in a row (1987 and 1988) at
the Festival
of Two Worlds in Spoleto,
Italy, at the personal invitation of Gian Carlo
Menotti. He has also continued to perform internationally, with
his
engagements abroad including concerts with orchestra and recitals
in Europe,
Russia, Australia, Central and South America, as well as in the United
States.
In September 1991, LEONID KUZMIN captured the world‚s attention
by winning
top prize at the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in
Budapest,
Hungary.
Born in Belarus,
LEONID KUZMIN began to study the piano at the age of five
with his father. He was then accepted at the Minsk State Conservatory
of
Music where he studied with Irina Tsvetaeva. In 1981 he moved
to New York,
where he studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Nina Svetlanova.
LEONID KUZMIN has also worked with world renowned pianist Nikita
Magaloff.
LEONID KUZMIN‚s engagements for the present and the upcoming
season include
recitals and concerts with orchestras throughout the United States, Russia,
Europe and Latin America as well as in the Middle
East.
LEONID KUZMIN has recorded works by Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy,
Scriabin,
Liszt and Rachmaninoff-Horowitz, released on L.R.P. label; works
by Chopin,
Shchedrin, Debussy and Balakirev for Soundscapes of Australia and,
Tchaikovsky‚s piano concerto # 1 for Sintez Records.
Russian Disc label released three compact discs of LEONID KUZMIN,
including
the concertos # 1 of Tchaikovsky and Liszt with the Moscow Philharmonic
Orchestra; Beethoven‚s Emperor concerto and Grieg‚s
concerto in a-minor with
the O. Bolshoi Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra and the Rachmaninoff‚s
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the State Symphony Orchestra
of Russia,
as well as a set of four solo recordings: Chopin, Liszt, Schubert,
Rachmaninoff and favorite encores.
During 1999 a compact disc including works for piano and orchestra
by
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff was released in Argentina, as a part of the
promotion for LEONID KUZMIN‚s latest appearance at the legendary
„Teatro
Colón‰ in Buenos
Aires. In 2000 a new recording of LEONID KUZMIN performing
Kreisleriana, Arabeske and Carnaval by Robert Schumann was released
under
the label XXICR.
In 2002 a new compact disc was released in France by Ogam Records. This
recording is dedicated to piano solo music by Sergei Rachmaninoff
and
includes its Morceaux de Fantasie Op. 3, the 6 Moment Musicaux
Op. 16 and
the 'Horowitz Version' of Rachmaninoff's Piano sonata N. 2, Op.
36.
