Since capturing the Gold Medal, BBC Audience Award, and Contemporary Music Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition Ilya Itin has performed throughout the world to rave reviews and sold-out houses. His unique artistry has long inspired the admiration of colleagues and audiences throughout the music world. His repertoire and artistry are wide-ranging, garnering abundant praise from music critics. He is equally at home playing music from Bach to Cage. "I'd go to hear him play the phonebook," remarked BBC TV's Ian Burnside. International Piano Magazine heralded Itin's playing as "borderline unbelievable in its combined power and accuracy, which is achieved with the minimum amount of effort…" [It is] "remarkable, which all readers should experience at least once."
Ilya Itin has collaborated with many of the world's great conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Neemi Jarvi, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Yakov Kreizberg, Vassily Sinaisky, Valery Polyansky, Mikhail Pletnev, and William Noll. Ilya has been a much-lauded soloist with orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony, the National Symphony, and the London Philharmonic. Recent appearances as soloist have included the season-opening concert of the Rochester Philharmonic with an acclaimed performance of Liszt's First Piano Concerto, debuts with the China National Symphony playing Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto, Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Bilkent Symphony of Ankara, Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto with the Symphony Orchestra of India, Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto with the Mexico City Philharmonic, and Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in Naples, Florida.
Ilya's recent concert seasons have been highlighted by sold-out recitals in China, Japan, and the USA. He continues to be the much-heralded artist in residence at Chamber Music Classics of Naples, where he performs regularly in chamber music, concerto and solo performances. He recently released on the VAI label an, historic, live-recorded DVD of his "Russian Marathon" concerts at the Miami International Piano Festival featuring all 24 Preludes of Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev's 7th and 8th Piano Sonatas.
Ilya Itin's growing discography highlights his exceptional pianism, versatility, delighting listeners with recordings that include Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Jerusalem Camerata on the JDR label, and Prokofiev's 6th Sonata and Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" on VAI. His commitment to the performance of little-known and well-known chamber music has produced numerous recordings including Beethoven's "Spring" Sonata, Brahms Viola Sonata, Martinu Double violin Sonata, and Piazzola "Spring/Autumn in Buenos Aires" with Igor and Vesna Gruppman. Also available on DVD is Itin's full recital with renowned violinist Ida Haendel at the Miami International Piano Festival.
Born in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Itin's early piano study was guided by Natalia Litvinova at the Sverdlovsk School for the Gifted. He went on to work with legendary teacher Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory, graduating with Highest Honors in 1990. Itin won his first major piano competition while at the Conservatory, taking second place in the 1990 Russian National Rachmaninov Competition. He won top honors in the William Kapell Competition the same year, followed by a First Prize and the Special Chopin Prize at the Casadesus Competition (The Cleveland International Piano Competition), and at the Gina Bachauer he was awarded the Best Performance of a Work of Mozart, Best Prokofiev Performance, and Third Prize.
Ilya Itin resides in Tokyo, Japan and New York City. He is on the teaching faculties of the Musashino Academy, Tokyo, the Graduate Program at CUNY, and the Golandsky Institute at Princeton. He is a frequent guest teacher in the piano department at the Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory. Itin works with Edna Golandsky and is a grateful recipient of support from the Patrons of Exceptional Artists.
