Michail Lifits, Jury Chairman
Born in 1982 Uzbekistan, Michail Lifits moved to Germany at the age of 16. He studied at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media in the master classes of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Bernd Goetzke. He also received formative artistic influences in postgraduate studies with Boris Petrushansky at the International Piano Academy Incontri col Maestro in Imola, Italy.
The winner of the 57th Ferrucio Busoni International Piano Competition has given numerous concerts at venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie Berlin, Herkulessaal, Prinzregententheater and Philharmonie in Munich, Laeszhalle and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.
As a soloist, Michail Lifits has appeared with many renowned and is a welcome guest at renowned international festivals.
In addition to his extensive solo activities, Michail Lifits is an equally passionate and sought-after chamber musician. With his chamber music partner Vilde Frang, he recorded two CDs for Warner Classics, which were awarded ECHO KLASSIK and Diapason d'or, among others.
In April 2022, Michail Lifits was appointed Professor of Piano at the FRANZ LISZT SCHOOL of Music in Weimar. Previously he taught as a lecturer at the HMTM Hannover as well as in the context of various master classes for piano and piano chamber music at home and abroad. Michail Lifits has been a Steinway Artist since 2014.