Konstantin Scherbakov (Switzerland) ← Back to list
Once a "Superstar for insiders” (Die Welt), Konstantin Scherbakov is today one of internationally renowned pianists who take a special place in the modern piano world. His artistry and impressive contribution to piano repertoire and the recording catalogue are undisputed. "One of the most capable, daring and interesting musicians of these days” - Peter Cossé , the famous German music critic once described him.
Uncompromising responsibility and selfless dedication to music and piano repertoire set Scherbakov's priority throughout his thirty-five-years-long career. The insatiable musical curiosity, an analytical mind and unlimited virtuosity have accompanied Scherbakov on his journey across the ocean of piano literature.
The 20-year-old pianist's phenomenal victory at the Rachmaninoff Competition (Moscow, 1983) with Rachmaninoff's less known 4th Piano Concerto carried a symbolic sign: it made the pianist aware of his interests and set his future artistic goals. His mission to promote the forgotten, unknown but no less beautiful music has become apparent.
Hailed by critics at his debut Lucerne Festival appearance as a “modern Rachmaninov”, Scherbakov launched his international career in 1990 at the 20th Chamber Music Festival of Asolo in Italy, where he performed the complete Sergei Rachmaninoff’s works for piano solo in four recitals, to approval from Sviatoslav Richter who listened to his performance.
Konstantin Scherbakov is among today’s most ubiquitous and often recorded pianists. The range of his repertory is vast and demanding, both technically and interpretively: Naxos signed him and his first recording, the Transcendental Etudes by Lyapunov, was released in 1994 on that label's sister enterprise Marco Polo. EMI introduced him the following year via its Debut Series in a disc of Johann Strauss II waltz paraphrases by Max Reger, Carl Tausig, Rosenthal, György Cziffra and others. Also in 1995 Scherbakov became a "BBC International Artist". Today the pianist’s constantly growing discography on "Naxos", "Marco Polo", EMI Classics and "Two Pianists" labels comprises well over 40 CDs featuring around 350 titles. Past recordings include the complete piano works of Shostakovich and Respighi, the complete piano/orchestral works of Medtner, Respighi, Tchaikovsky, Arensky and Scriabin, and the complete Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. Presently, he is producing a unique complete set of Godowsky’s piano works for Marco Polo on 15 CD’s. The Liszt/Beethoven series received high critical acclaim, with the Ninth being awarded the German Critics’ Prize 2005; his recording of L. Godowsky’s Sonata in E minor for Marco Polo also won this prize in 2001. Scherbakov’s recording of the 24 Preludes and Fugues of Shostakovich for Naxos received the Classical Award 2001 at Cannes.
Boasting a phenomenal concerto repertoire of around 60 concertos, Konstantin Scherbakov performed as soloist with more than 60 orchestras, among others the Russian State Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, Malaga Philharmonic, Stuttgart and Duisburg Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra, Philharmonie der Nationen, Brazilian Symphony, Munich Symphony, MDR Sinfonieorchester, George Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest, Weimarer Staatskapelle, Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, Sofia Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, I Pomeriggi musicali Milan, New Zealand Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Ukrainian and Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestras, Ulster Orchestra, San Paolo Symphony and Wiener Kammerorchester and conductors like Georg Alexander Albrecht, Rudolf Barshai, Aldo Ceccato, Arnold Katz, Yoel Levi, Dmitri Liss, Christian Mandeal, Kirill Petrenko, Valeri Polyanski, Nello Santi, Juri Simonov, Vassili Sinajsky and Christian Thielemann.
Konstantin Scherbakov has given solo performances in over 50 countries on all continents. He has played in some of the prestigious concert halls such as Philharmonic of Cologne, Wigmore Hall London, Herkulessaal, Philharmonic and Prinzregententheater Munich, Tonhalle Zurich, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Congress and Concert Hall Luzern, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikhalle Hamburg, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Berlin, Rudolfinum Prague, Atheneum Bucharest, Casal Hall Tokyo, Victoria Hall Singapore, Arts Center Seoul, National Concert Hall Taipei, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Konzerthaus Vienna and Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, among others.
Konstantin Scherbakov has been guest to important international music festivals such as Salzburg, Frankfurt, Bregenz, Bodensee, Lucerne, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Bad Kissingen, Schubertiade Feldkirch and Schwarzenberg, Singapore Piano Festival, Piano Rarities Husum, Beethoven Festival Krakow and Warsaw, Lebanon Music Festival, “Primavera concertistica” Lugano, Evian, Colmar, Liszt Festivals in Raiding and Weimar, Piano Festival Lucerne, and among others - numerous festivals in Italy, France, New Zealand, USA, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.
Since 1998 Konstantin Scherbakov has been Professor at the Zurich University of Arts; many of his students received prizes at international piano competitions, most notably Yulianna Avdeeva, the winner of the 2010 Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Konstantin Scherbakov has been a jury member of many international competitions, such as ARD Munich, Busoni (Bolzano), Liszt (Weimar), Rio de Janeiro (BNDES), Youth Tchaikovsky (Seoul), Havana etc.