Unanimous Jury
Mikhail Kambarov Wins First Prize at the “La Palma d’Oro” Piano Competition
A few days ago, Mikhail Kambarov, a piano student from Weimar, achieved success at the 10th International “La Palma d’Oro” Piano Competition in San Benedetto del Tronto (Italy). He was awarded the first prize, worth 5,000 euros, by a unanimous decision of the jury. In the final round, he performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto with the Marchigiana Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Konstantin Ilievsky. Additional components of the prize include a concert with the same orchestra next season—and a solo recital.
“I am very happy about this success. It confirms to me that I am on the right track and that the jury understands my musical language,” explains Mikhail Kambarov. “It’s like writing a book: the content, the structure, the language, and good taste are what count. I am always very grateful to my teacher, Prof. Michail Lifits, for helping me refine my musical style!”
Mikhail Kambarov was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 2000 and began playing the piano at the age of five. He made his orchestral debut at the age of eight. He has lived in Weimar since 2017, where he initially studied at the Music High School Schloss Belvedere under Prof. Christian Wilm Müller. He is currently studying with Prof. Michail Lifits at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar and also receives artistic guidance from Prof. Lev Natochenny.
Concert appearances with renowned orchestras have taken him to Salzburg, Leipzig, Halle, St. Petersburg, Grosseto, and Washington, among other cities. He is a prize winner at several international competitions and was awarded the “John Giordano Jury Chairman Discretionary Award” in 2025 at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth (USA). In addition to his work as a soloist, Mikhail Kambarov is deeply committed to chamber music. With the Trio Fulminato, founded in 2018, he has won several prizes and performed with the ensemble in the United States.
Recent highlights of his concert career include performances in the Small Hall of the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg as well as other concerts in Germany and throughout Europe. Mikhail Kambarov is a scholarship recipient of the Charlotte Krupp Foundation, the German Music Life Foundation, and the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Association. Since 2025, he has also been supported by the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London, one of Europe’s most prominent organizations supporting young pianists.
[1 October 2026]