The Liberty Presents:
ILYA KAZANTSEV, PIANIST
June 23rd, 4pm

Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No.14 "Moonlight" Op. 27, No. 2
Frédéric Chopin Ballade No. 1, Op. 23
Franz Liszt Rhapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody), S.254, R.90
Pyotr Tchaikovsky Dumka, Op. 59
Sergei Rachmaninoff Preludes Op.32, No.12 and No. 10
Sergei Rachmaninoff Sonata Op. 36, No. 2

Ilya Kazantsev, a fresh and exciting presence on the international music scene, has been hailed by The Washington Post as “virtually flawless.” He has performed extensively with orchestras in Russia and the United States, as well as appearing in recital in Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, the United States, and Slovenia. His many awards and honors include first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition (Paris); he also won the International Chopin Competition (Moscow) and the 2007 & 2008 World Piano Competitions (Cincinnati).

In 2014, Kazantsev was invited to join the esteemed Hermitage Piano Trio, which also includes the renowned soloists Misha Keylin (violin) and Sergey Antonov (cello). An enthusiastic advocate of contemporary music, Kazantsev has presented numerous premieres of works by contemporary American, Russian, and Eastern European composers, many of which have been dedicated to him. His advanced studies have included working with such prominent contemporary music specialists as Jay Gotlieb, Mark Ponthus and the legendary composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, who praised Ilya for his thoughtful performance of composer's Douze Notations.

Kazantsev began his music studies in his native Moscow and at the age of nine was accepted as a student of Valeriy Pyasetsky at the Central Music School at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. Subsequently, he moved to the United States in 2002 to continue his studies at the Mannes College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, working with Arkady Aronov. He currently resides in Boston, MA.