Ivan Bessonov, Piano

Ivan Bessonov was born in 2002 to a family of musicians from Saint Petersburg. He received his first piano lessons at the age of six. In 2012 Ivan started his professional education and began studying piano at the Central Music School for particularly gifted children of the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Professor Vadim Rudenko.

In 2015 Ivan made his debut as a film music composer for various feature films. That same year he won the Grand Prix at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Saint Petersburg. In 2016 Ivan Bessonov won the 1st prize as well as the Audience Prize at the Grand Piano Competition in Moscow and was awarded the 1st prize at the International Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition The Piano Miniature in Russian Music in Saint Petersburg. His interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 won him 1st prize at the Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 Competition at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Since 2015 Ivan Bessonov has performed in recitals and with orchestras throughout Russia and Europe. Renowned conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedoseev or Vladimir Spivakov invite him to perform with their orchestras, including the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Tchaikovsky Orchestra and the Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra.

He regularly performs at various music festivals in Russia and abroad, including the Easter Festival under Valery Gergiev in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the Verbier Festival and the Festival de Piano de la Roque d’Antheron. In 2017 he gave a recital as part of the well-known concert series Masters of Tomorrow organised by the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation.

The famous pianist Denis Matsuev has also repeatedly invited Ivan to his festivals and concerts. He also performs as a jazz pianist and chamber musician in a trio with his younger brothers, the violinists Nikita (9) and Danila (11), and furthermore works with great passion as a composer.

Ivan Bessonov has recorded his own compositions and works by Frédéric Chopin for his debut album, which will be released on the ARS Produktion label in spring 2019. Other highlights this year include his recital at the renowned Auditorium of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in November and his debut at the Prinzregenten-Theater in Munich in December.