From the prince himself
Piano student Mikhail Kambarov wins 1st prize at the International Piano Competition in Mayenne
Weimar piano student Mikhail Kambarov has won the 14th International Piano Competition in Mayenne (France). A few days ago, the 23-year-old Russian pianist from Prof. Michail Lifits' class at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar won 1st prize, the “Young Audience Prize”, the “Château de Bourgon” prize and the special prize of Prince Albert II of Monaco, which was presented by the Prince himself.
In the three rounds, Mikhail Kambarov performed solo works by Bach, Chopin, Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Fauré, among others. The success in Mayenne is also linked to a return to France in 2025 with a solo recital, orchestral concert and masterclass. The young pianist was delighted: ‘It was the first time in my life that I had been to France and I was deeply impressed by the small, medieval town of Mayenne.’
His piano professor Michail Lifits congratulated him on his success: ‘This success is not only a recognition of his talent, but also a confirmation of his constantly growing musical and artistic personality. The large number of special prizes he has received emphasise this impressively. I would particularly like to highlight the special prize from the Prince of Monaco, which is a very special honour. This competition success is a significant step towards an international career, which I sincerely wish him and which he undoubtedly deserves.’
As recently as April 2024, Mikhail Kambarov won 1st prize, the audience prize and the special prize for the best interpretation of a Scarlatti sonata at the ‘Domenico Scarlatti’ International Piano Competition in Trapani (Italy). As a soloist, he has already worked with orchestras such as the Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sinfonica Città di Grosseto Orchestra, the Algirdas Paulavičius Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha/Eisenach and has performed at venues including the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, the Georg Friedrich Händel Hall in Halle, the German Embassy in Washington and the Fazioli Concert Hall.
In addition to his extensive solo activities, Mikhail Kambarov is also a passionate chamber musician and songwriter. He has won numerous prizes with the ‘Trio Fulminato’, including the 1st national prize with the highest number of points at ‘Jugend musiziert’ combined with a sponsorship award from the German Foundation for Musical Life. The trio has also won the ‘WDR Klassikpreis’ of the city of Münster, the ‘MDR-Förderpreis’ and the ‘Hermann-Abs-Sonderpreis’ of the Beethovenhaus Bonn for the best interpretation of a work by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Born in 2000 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Mikhail Kambarov received his first piano lessons from Natalya Fish at the age of five and made his orchestral debut at the age of eight with the Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic Orchestra. At the age of 16, Kambarov came to Germany to continue his pianistic education at the Music High School Schloss Belvedere, the Highly Gifted Centre for the Weimar Music University, with Prof. Christian Wilm Müller. Since October 2023, he has been studying for a Bachelor's degree in the Weimar piano class of Prof Michail Lifits.
[14 May 2024]