2013 Mixon First Prize winner Stanislav Khristenko has been named to the roster of Steinway Artists. The designation recognizes a select group of pianists who have chosen to perform exclusively on Steinway pianos.
Mr. Khristenko released an album, Fantasies, on the Steinway & Sons label in 2014, which was part of his 2013 CIPC prize package. Critics, including Gramophone’s Jed Distler, who remarked that the collection represents fantasies “ranging from tiny jewel to epic canvas” and All Music Guide’s James Manheim who rated it “highly recommended,” heralded the album.
“I am very excited about becoming a Steinway Artist. I’ve been playing on Steinway pianos since early childhood, and it is a big honor to be recognized by the company among top pianists from all over the world. It is an event of a lifetime for me,” said Mr. Khristenko. “Steinway & Sons has a great future in the 21st century, and I am looking forward to joining forces with the company to build a better future for classical music as a member of the Steinway family.”
A “poet of piano,” and “an architect of grand style” (Le Soir), Khristenko has appeared as a soloist with the National Orchestra of Belgium, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, and the Moscow Conservatory Orchestra. His career includes solo recitals at Carnegie Hall and performances with orchestras in Berlin’s Grosser Hall, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Moscow Conservatory Great Hall, and Hong Kong City Hall. He is a graduate of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music.