Pianissimo Summer Piano Festival 2023

Massimiliano Grotto (b. 1997, Italy) is a pianist, student of the renowned performer Massimiliano Ferrati. He furthered his studies under renowned masters—Jerome Rose, Emanuel Krasovsky, Federico Colli, Riccardo Risaliti, Azumi Nishizawa and Massimo Somenzi. Massimiliano has taken the first places in a number of national and international competitions, including Crescendo (New York, USA), which culminated with a performance at Carnegie Hall, Euregio Piano Award (Heilenkirchen, Germany) and the International Piano Competition in Oleggio (Italy).

Igor Petrov (b. 2004, Russia) is a pianist, graduate of the St. Petersburg musical lyceum and the Secondary special music school. In 2022 he enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (class of Alexander Sandler). Winner of national and international competition, winner of the Giovanni Colafemmina award (Italy, 2022), winner of the Young Talents of Russia competition (2022), and The International Chopin Competition (Estonia, 2020). He has toured many European countries, including Germany, Finland and Estonia. Regular participant of the festivals From the Avant-garde to the Present Day, World of Art. Contrasts, Christmas Ensembles, Path to Parnassus, I Am Already an Artist (Russia), Flowers of Russia (Russia-Germany).

Simon Bürki (b. 2000, Switzerland) is a pianist. He graduated from the Central Music school and the Moscow Conservatory (class of Andrei Pisarev) and currently is a student of The Juilliard School in New York (class of Sergei Babayan). Winner of the Vladimir Horowitz International Competition in Kiev (2011), Sberbank Debut (2013), 5th International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists in Weimar (2017), A Step Towards Mastery in St. Petersburg (2017). Frequently tours France, Germany and Switzerland.

Efe Şen (b. 2005, Turkey) is a pianist. He had started learning piano at the age of eight. In 2017 he enrolled at the Istanbul State Conservatory at MSGSÜ (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University), where he continued to study under the pianist İnci Yakar Birol. Winner of international competitions: the Pera Festival (Istanbul, 2019), Euplayy (Munich, 2020 and 2022), The Chopin 1st International Piano Competition for Children and Young Pianists (Istanbul, 2020). Frequently tours Poland, Estonia and Switzerland.

Dmitry Shishkin (b. 1992, Russia) is a pianist. He began playing the piano at the age of two. In 2015 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory (class of Eliso Virsaladze). He later studied under Epifanio Comis at the Conservatorio Vincenzo Bellini in Catania, Italy, and under Arie Vardi at the Hannover Higher School of Music, Theatre and Media. Winner of the Top of the World International Piano Competition in Tromsø, Norway (2017) and the 73rd Geneva International Music Competition (2018). Prize-winner of the Ferruccio Busoni Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy (2013), Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (2016), and the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition (2019). He has recorded several solo discs of works by Chopin, Wagner, Elgar, Paderewski, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Medtner and Tchaikovsky.

Egor Sidorov (b. 2006, Russia) is a pianist. He studied at the Vladimir Regional Music College (choir and piano department). In 2017 enrolled at the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (class of Mira Marchenko). Grand prize-winner of international competitions: International Balys Dvarionas Competition for Young Pianists and Violinists (Lithuania), Orchestra Soloist (Russia), Golden Talents (Russia), Music Box (Russia. Winner of international competitions: World Piano Teachers Association (WPTA, Finland), Young Chopin (Switzerland), and the Vladimir Krainev Online Competition (Russia). Stipend holder of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation.

George Harliono (b. 2001, United Kingdom) is a pianist. He gave his first concert at the age of nine and has since performed at Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall in London, Berlin Philharmonic and other prestigious venues. He studied with Professor Pascal Nemirovski (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and attended master-classes given by Dmitri Bashkirov, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, and other renowned pianists. He has been a prize-winner at prestigious international piano competitions including the Grand Piano Competition (Moscow), the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition (Salt Lake City) and the Jeunesses International Music Competition Dinu Lipatti (Bucharest).

Vladimir Petrov (b. 1997, Russia/Mexico) is a pianist. He graduated from the Central Music School (class of Valery Pyasetsky) and the Moscow Conservatory (class of Eliso Virsaladze), and is currently continuing his studies at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar (class of Grigory Gruzman). Winner of many international competitions: V International Piano Competition in memoriam of Vera Lotar-Shevchenko (Russia, 2020), International Piano Competition Cidade de Vigo (Spain, 2018), VI International José Jacinto Cuevas Yamaha Piano Competition (Mexico, 2018), and the NTD Television Competition (USA, 2019). Regular participant of the festivals Moscow Meets Friends, Denis Matsuev Presents, Stars on Baikal, Crescendo, and the Moscow Easter Festival.

Filipp Rudenko (b. 2002, Russia) is a pianist. He graduated from the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (classes of Valery Pyasetsky and Vadim Rudenko). Currently he is a 3rd year student of the Moscow Conservatory, where he studies under Andrei Pisarev and Nikolai Lugansky. Stipend holder and participant of concert programmes of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation and the Art Liniya Foundation. He has performed at the History Museum in Moscow and the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, participated in the festivals Imperial Gardens of Russia and Dedication to Oleg Kagan, and festivals in Osnabrück, Germany, and Burgas, Bulgaria.