Vassily Primakov (born 1979 in Moscow, Russia) is an award-winning Russian concert pianist and recording artist known for his interpretations of Chopin.
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Primakov began studies at Moscow’s Central Special Music School at age eleven as a pupil of Vera Gornostayeva. He then attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied under Jerome Lowenthal.[1]
In 1999 Primakov won second prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, and in 2001 he was a semi-finalist in the Van Cliburn Competition.[2] Upon hearing Primakov’s performance of “La Valse” at the competition, Van Cliburn himself said “Prodigious technique, really wonderful,” with a “look of sheer rapture on his face.”[3] Primakov then won both the Silver Medal and Audience Prize at the 2002 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.[4] In 2007 he was honored by the Classical Recording Foundation with their Young Artist of the Year Award. His disc of 21 Mazurkas by Chopin was named a "Best of Year" by National Public Radio (2009).
He has released sixteen CDs and one DVD.
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MusicWeb-International called his recording of Chopin Piano Concertos “one of the great Chopin recordings of recent times. Primakov's interpretations of the two Chopin piano concertos combine grace and fire in the service of unflagging intensity. These are performances of extraordinary power and beauty.”[5] And Gramophone wrote “Primakov's empathy with Chopin's spirit could hardly be more complete.”[6] Regarding his CD of Chopin Mazurkas, Fanfare wrote “Primakov has made a Chopin recording everyone should hear.”[7]