Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova returns to the Steinway Society for her third appearance. From an early age, Fedorova showed an innate musical maturity and amazing technical abilities. Her live recording of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto has been viewed more than 42 million times on YouTube, making it the most watched classical concerto on the platform. One of the world’s leading young pianists, she has taken top prizes at the Rubinstein and Moscow International Frederick Chopin Competitions and has been mentored by world-renowned musicians Alfred Brendel and András Schiff. Fedorova has performed with esteemed orchestras in prestigious concert halls and music festivals of Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

Fedorova has released three solo piano albums, four chamber music albums, and all of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos with the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen under Modestas Pitrenas. BBC Music Magazine gave a 5-star review for the first album with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Preludes, and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. BBC Music Magazine also published a 5-star review for Fedorova’s rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4.

Fedorova graduated from the Lysenko School of Music in Kyiv and the Accademia Pianistica in Imola, Italy. She received her master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music, London, under the guidance of Norma Fisher.

In 2022, Anna Fedorova and double bassist Nicholas Santangelo Schwartz founded the Davidsbündler Music Academy in The Hague to provide top quality musical education to Ukrainian refugees who had fled to the Netherlands.

Concert pianist, arranger, and composer Vyacheslav Gryaznov has thrilled our audiences in his multiple appearances with Steinway Society since 2016. He has performed to great acclaim throughout the U.S., Russia, and Europe, including Carnegie Hall and the Berliner Philharmonie. Gryaznov studied at the Moscow State Conservatory for his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and he earned the Yale School of Music’s Artist Diploma in 2018.

Gryaznov is an Artist-in-Residence with the Drozdoff Society in the U.S. He is the author of more than 40 concert arrangements and has gained a reputation as one of the most remarkable young arrangers working today. In 2014 Gryaznov signed a publishing contract with Schott Music, where his piano transcriptions are among the publisher’s top ten bestselling editions.

Pianist Alexander Malofeev (born October 2001) is hailed as one of the most prominent artists of his generation. He began studying at the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music and made his breakthrough at age 13, winning First Prize at the 2014 International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. “Contrary to what could be expected of a youngster …, he demonstrated not only high technical accuracy but also an incredible maturity. Crystal clear sounds and perfect balance revealed his exceptional ability” (Amadeus).

Malofeev regularly performs with leading orchestras and is celebrated for his maturity, technical mastery, and interpretations of virtuosic romantic repertoire like Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

Malofeev won numerous competitions from a young age, including the Grand Prix at the 2016 Grand Piano Competition and the 2017 Premio Giovane Talento Musicale dell’anno. In 2017, he became the first Yamaha Young Artist. Sony Classical released his recording of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto in 2020. Now based in Berlin, he performs internationally to widespread critical acclaim for his musical depth and technical abilities.

Zlata Chochieva made her first stage appearance at age five and gave her debut with an orchestra two years later, performing Mozart’s Concerto No. 17 at Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory. When she was 12, she gave a full recital, broadcast on Russian television, which caught the attention of Mikhail Pletnev and later became his protégée at Central Special Music School.

In 2005, Chochieva was named Honorable Artist of the North Ossetia Republic, becoming the youngest ever artist to hold such a distinction. In 2012, she graduated with distinction from Moscow State Conservatory. Zlata Chochieva continues to gain worldwide recognition, including earning top prizes in 14 international competitions. She has played in the world’s leading concert halls as a soloist and with major orchestras. Along with an orchestral repertoire of over 50 concerti, Zlata Chochieva is a devoted chamber music performer.

“Im freien,” Chochieva’s most recent release for Naïve Records, was selected by Gramophone as an “Editor’s Choice” for June 2023. Her first recording for Naïve, “Chiaroscuro” (May 2022), a combination of Mozart and Scriabin, earned a Critic’s Choice in International Piano Magazine. Her “(re)creations” disc, recorded during the pandemic on Accentus (a collection of piano transcriptions by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Friedman), won a prestigious German Record Critics’ Award.

Chochieva completed her studies at Mozarteum University of Salzburg with Jacques Rouvier and was subsequently his assistant for several years. In 2018, she established the International Festival at Rachmaninoff’s estate and serves as its director. She currently resides in Berlin.

Florian Noack (born 1990) is a Belgian pianist renowned for his virtuosity, innovative programming, and championing of rare romantic and post-romantic repertoire. He began piano studies at age 4 and by 12 joined the Queen Elisabeth Chapel’s program for exceptional young talents. Noack has won numerous prestigious awards, including the ECHO Klassik for Young Artist of the Year, Diapason d’Or of the Year, Octave de la Musique for Artist of the Year, and prizes at the Rachmaninoff, Robert Schumann, and Cologne international piano competitions.

He is celebrated for his transcriptions of orchestral works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Rimsky-Korsakov for solo piano. In addition to a busy international concert schedule, Noack has recorded several critically praised albums showcasing lesser-known composers like Lyapunov alongside his own transcriptions. He joined the Fratres Trio in 2016, exploring early 20th century crossover repertoire between classical and jazz.

Noack previously taught at the Cologne Musikhochschule and currently serves on faculty at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège.

Called the “Van Cliburn of today” by the BBC, Alexander Kobrin has been praised for brilliant technique, musicality, and his emotional engagement with the audience. Kobrin won the Gold medal at the 2005 Cliburn International Piano Competition, and has taken top prizes at the Busoni, Hamamatsu, and Scottish International Piano Competitions. He has performed with renowned orchestras and in major concert halls worldwide.

Kobrin began his studies at age five and is now a dedicated teacher and passionate about his contributions to education both in the U.S. and abroad. He is on the faculty of the renowned Eastman School of Music. Previously he was named the L. Rexford Distinguished Chair in Piano at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, and from 2013 until 2017 he was a member of the celebrated Artist Faculty of New York University’s Steinhardt School. In 2020, he became co-director of Hiiumaa Homecoming Festival in Estonia.

Kobrin frequently serves as a jury member for international competitions, including the Van Cliburn, Busoni, Hamamatsu, Blüthner, and Neuhaus.