“Her Rachmaninov is genuinely intriguing as well as note-perfect too, and she has something to say in Mozart and Beethoven. In everything she does, there seems to be a special combination of utterly self-assured virtuosity and real lyricism and communication too . . . Lisitsa is worth listening to and taking seriously.”

The Guardian, 15 June 2012

Biography

With her multi-faceted playing described as “dazzling”, Valentina Lisitsa is at ease in a vast repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to Shostakovich and Bernstein. Her orchestral repertoire alone includes more than 40 concertos. She admits to having a special affinity for the music of Rachmaninov and Beethoven and continues to add to her vast repertoire each season.

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1973, Valentina Lisitsa began playing the piano at the age of three, giving her first solo recital a year later. She gained a place at the Lysenko Music School for Gifted Children and later studied at the Kiev Conservatory under Ludmilla Tsvierko. In 1991 she won the first prize in the Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition together with Alexei Kuznetsoff. She now resides in the USA.

Lisitsa has performed at such leading international venues as New York’s Carnegie and Avery Fisher halls and the Vienna Musikverein. In May 2010, she made her debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic playing the Dutch premiere of Rachmaninov’s “New 5th” Concerto and in August 2011 made her debut with the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira under Lorin Maazel.

With more than 50 million YouTube views, Valentina Lisitsa is one of the most watched classical musicians on the internet, using digital innovation to champion classical music and performance. Impressed by her YouTube success, the Royal Albert Hall, in an unprecedented step, opened its doors for the young musician’s London debut on 19 June. Further 2012-13 season engagements include concerto appearances in Rotterdam, Munich, Mexico City, Italy and across the USA, as well as recitals in Europe, North and South America.

In 2012 Valentina Lisitsa signed an exclusive agreement with Decca Classics. Her first Decca release was her June 2012 Albert Hall recital, immediately available for pre-order on the night of the concert, digital only, followed by the CD release on 3 July. Her next Decca releases are the complete concertos of Rachmaninov and Paganini Rhapsody with the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Francis. Lisitsa’s other recordings include the four Ives Violin Sonatas with Hilary Hahn, released by Deutsche Grammophon in January 2012.