Michail Lifits, winner of the 57th Ferrucio Busoni International Piano Competition in 2009, is rapidly gaining international attention with his captivating musicality. In a rave review by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the pianist was praised for his “exhilarating affinity for colours!”, while Il Giornale di Vicenza wrote that “his finely calibrated touch, evenness and the beauty of his sound, reminded one of Michelangeli”.
Highlights of his current concert schedule include performances with Munich Chamber Orchestra, another invitation to Munich Symphony Orchestra under Michele Mariotti, débuts with NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover under Andrew Manze, Orchestra of Valencia and Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona under Jean-Luc Tingaud, and performances at Kissinger Sommer Festival, Schwetzingen SWR Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bürgenstock Festival and Salzburg Festival.
Lifits has performed in many of the world’s major musical centres, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Philharmonie in Berlin, Herkulessaal and Philharmonie in Munich, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Sala Verdi in Milan, Tonhalle in Zürich, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.
As a soloist, he has appeared with renowned orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Hague Philharmonic under Lawrence Foster, Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra, Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano under Alain Lombard, Moscow Soloists under Yuri Bashmet, Erfurt Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro Verdi di Trieste and L’Orchestre International de Genève.
Lifits is a popular guest artist at renowned international festivals including the Verbier, Salzburg, BBC Proms, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheingau, Ruhr, Bergen, Festival Pianistico Internazionale di Brescia e Bergamo, Festival Mitte Europa, Nymphenburger Sommerfestival and Menuhin Festival Gstaad.
Also a passionate and highly sought-after chamber musician, Lifits performs regularly with such renowned artists as Vilde Frang, Nicolas Altstaedt, Steven Isserlis, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and Veronika Eberle. In 2016, he performed an intense recital tour in the USA, Canada and Japan with Vilde Frang, as well as a European tour with his piano trio partners, Corina Belcea and Antoine Lederlin.
Since 2011, Michail Lifits has been an exclusive artist for Decca Classics. His début CD (2012) with works by Mozart received excellent reviews and was named “CD of the month” by many leading classical music magazines and radio stations. His recording of Schubert sonatas (2015), the first of his planned release of Schubert’s complete piano works, elicited enthusiastic responses from experts and critics.
Born in 1982 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Michail Lifits moved to Germany at 16 and has since lived in Hannover where he attended the classes of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Bernd Goetzke at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater. Further studies with Boris Petrushansky at the International Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola (Italy) played an important role in continuing to form his artistry. Michail Lifits has been a Steinway Artist since 2014.
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