Hailed by Gramophone as a “star of the future” and acclaimed by Germany’s Piano Magazine for the “elegance and rapturous beauty” of his music-making, Lovchinsky has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Auditorium, the Bushnell Center, the Eastman Theater and the Ohio Theater. Internationally, he has presented recitals at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, the American Embassy in Beijing, and the Rosza Centre in Calgary. Upcoming engagements include performances with the Indianapolis Symphony and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestras. His debut album was selected as one of the top five recordings of 2008 by Time Out International.
With a repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century, Lovchinsky is a multi-faceted performer whose innovative programs – often combining the classical repertoire with jazz – reflect his diverse musical interests. Typically, Lovchinsky speaks to the audience at his recitals, engaging both the seasoned and the lay listener. The Southampton Press described his commentaries as “witty, informative, and non-technical, adding immeasurably to the non-professional’s understanding.”
An avid exponent of new music, Lovchinsky has championed works by Norman Dello Joio, Rodion Schedrin, Heather Schmidt, Avner Dorman, Nikolai Kapustin and Earl Wild. After hearing his Etudes on Themes of Gershwin performed by Lovchinsky, Mr. Wild immediately offered to produce the young pianist’s debut disc on the composer’s label, Ivory Classics. In addition to Earl Wild’s set of Etudes, the record features music by Chopin and Scriabin. This season, Lovchinsky took part in the Boston premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s “Catalogue d’Oiseaux” at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, celebrating the composer’s 100th birthday.
As concerto soloist, Lovchinsky has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the “Live Music Project” Ensemble and the Florida International University Symphony Orchestra. In addition, his performance of Chopin’s First Concerto with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra was broadcast on WQXR radio in New York and was featured as the soundtrack of the independent film “Romance Larghetto” by director Pablo Goldbarg.
Born in Kazan, Russia in 1984, Igor Lovchinsky began playing the piano at the age of two. Very quickly, he showed extraordinary promise – not only as a pianist, but as a composer and improviser as well – and by the age of four, was already playing entire recitals for his friends and family. In 1989, he entered the Kazan Special Music School for Gifted Children and after coming to the United States in 1994, garnered first prizes at the Eastman International Piano Competition and the National Chopin Piano Competition of the Kosciuszko Foundation.
Lovchinsky holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School and a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. His previous teachers have included Nina Polonsky, Steven Glaser, Jerome Lowenthal, Patricia Zander, and Wha-Kyung Byun. In addition to studying music, Lovchinsky is a student of Physics at Harvard University.
More information at www.lovchinsky.com.
