MEET THE ARTISTS

Michail Lifits

Born into a musical family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Michail Lifits started playing the piano at the age of five and, at the age of nine, gave his first performance in Uzbekistan, followed by a series of successive concerts in Eastern and Western Europe and Japan.

Top prizes awarded to Mr. Lifits include First Prize at the 2009 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, First Prize at the 2009 Ferrucio Busoni International Piano Competition, Semifinalist at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Competition, First Prize and Audience Prize at the 2003 Val Tidone International Music Competition “Silvio Bengalli Prize” in Pianello, Italy, First Prize at the 2004 International Competition “46th Award Cittá de Treviso” in Italy, First Prize of the 2006 International Piano Competition “Antonio Napolitano” in Vietri sul Mare, and the First Prize, Orchestra Prize, and a Special Prize for the best interpretation of Chopin at the 19th International Piano Competition “Rina Sala Gallo” in Monza, Italy.

In 1989, Mr. Lifits entered the Republican Special Music School “Vladimir Uspensky” for talented children. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Lifits was invited to play concerts with the National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Professor Zokhid Khaknazarov. In 1998, he gave a solo recital in the prestigious “Rheingau Musik Festival” for Young Artists in Germany. A year later, he began his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover.

In 2005, he entered the Accademia Pianistica “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola, Italy, where he studied with Boris Petrushansky. In addition, he has toured Italy and concertized in France as well as in Switzerland. He has also performed at the Festival in Sulmona; the Festival “Russians Musica e follia” in Brescia; the Festival “Kissinger Sommer” in Germany; the “Festival Valentiniano” in Orvieto; the Teatro Manzoni in Monza along with the Orchestra “J Futura” under the baton of Maestro Maurizio Dini Ciacci in Baslega de Pené and Trento. He has given recitals at the Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise and Annecy Festival Estival in France; the “Concerti d’estate a Villa Guariglia” in Vietri sul Mare; “Armonie sotto la Rocca” in Manerba as well as the Festival in Crans-Montana in Switzerland. Since April, 2008, Lifits has studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover in the atelier of Prof. Bernd Goetzke.