Nikolai Lugansky is a pianist who combines elegance and grace with powerful virtuosity, a true incarnation of the Russian tradition on the international classical stage. Recognised as a master of Russian and late romantic repertoire, Lugansky is renowned for his interpretations of Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Chopin and Debussy. He has received numerous awards for recordings and artistic merit.
He collaborates regularly with conductors of the calibre of Kent Nagano, Yuri Temirkanov, Manfred Honeck,
Gianandrea Noseda, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Vasily Petrenko, Lahav Shani. He is invited by leading
international orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the London Symphony Orchestra, the
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Oslo Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orquestra Nacional de España.
In 2023, he celebrated the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninov's birth by performing all of the Russian
composer major solo works in a three-concert cycle at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Wigmore Hall in London, along with other individual performances throughout Europe, including at the
Konzerthaus in Vienna and Berlin, the Bozar in Brussels, the Rudolfinum in Prague and the Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam. The performances have been a great success with audiences and critics alike, where
“Lugansky's command of the piano is exceptional.... He is masterful in his knowledge of tempo, structure and
expression” (Bachtrack).
In the summer he returned to the US to perform Rachmaninov concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra with
Stanislav Kochanovsky and at the Colorado Music Festival with Peter Oundjian
During this season, he will perform with the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
the Dortmunder Philharmoniker, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Grazer Philharmoniker, the
Orchestra of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and the
Gulbenkian Orchestra, among others.
He will also undertake several tours, including one in Asia in December 2023, in the Canary Islands in
January 2024, in the UK with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and in Italy with Vadim Repin in
February 2024.
Described by Gramophone as “the most trailblazing and meteoric performer of all”, Nikolai Lugansky is a
pianist of extraordinary depth and versatility. He appears at some of the world's most distinguished
festivals, including the Aspen, Tanglewood, Ravinia and Verbier festivals. Chamber music collaborators
include Vadim Repin, Alexander Kniazev, Mischa Maisky and Leonidas Kavakos.
Nikolai Lugansky has won several awards for his many recordings. His recital CD featuring Rachmaninov's
Piano Sonatas won the Diapason d’Or, whilst his recording of concertos by Grieg and Prokofiev with Kent
Nagano and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice.
Lugansky has an exclusive contract with Harmonia Mundi and his Rachmaninov 24 Preludes, released in April
2018, met with enthusiastic reviews. His publication César Frank, Préludes, Fugues & Chorals (2020) won the
Diapason d'Or.
His latest publication, Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux; 3 Pièces, was awarded by Gramophone Editor's Choice
(March 2023) and described “as one would dream of hearing them all the time” (The OBS).
