Irina Lankova
Irina Lankova (born September 11, 1977) is a Russian concert pianist. After studies in Moscow, she moved to Brussels where she continued her studies and built her reputation by winning several awards and by participation in various festivals. In 2006 she moved to England with her British husband with whom she has two daughters. She debuted in the UK in Wigmore Hall on July 1, 2008. Lankova now lives in the south of France.
Early life
Irina Lankova was born in Mitchurinsk, in the Russian Federation and started playing the piano at age seven. She graduated in 1996 with the highest honours from the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow where she studied with Irina Temchenko. She then moved to Brussels to continue her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Professor Evgeny Mogilevsky. Here she was awarded the Premier Prix with the highest honours followed by Diplome Superieur. Later she participated in master classes with Vitaly Margulis and Vladimir Tropp.
Professional career
She became Laureate of the Fonds Wernaert’s, the French-speaking Community of Belgium, for her piano studies and was awarded the Prix de la Fondation Horlait Dapsens (Belgium) three times for her chamber music performances. She has appeared at all major festivals and concert halls in Belgium: Festival Midi-Minimes, Festival d'Enghien, Festival de Silly, Festival de Wallonie, Festival Monteverdi, the Flagey concert hall and Grande Salle of Brussels's Conservatory.
In 2004 she recorded her first CD, featuring works of Rachmaninov and Liszt, and received her first professional critique in La Libre Belgique, Belgian national newspaper.(6) Her second CD "Alexander Scriabin - from Romantic to Mystic", was released in October 2006 and named Album of the Week in leading British newspaper The Independent. In February 2008 Irina recorded her third CD, all Chopin. Lankova’s debut at Wigmore Hall in July 2008 was described by Musical Opinion magazine as a ‘notable recital ended with a totally convincing and intensely musical account of Chopin's B minor Sonata’ [1]. In February 2009, Lankova performed as a soloist with Royal Holloway University of London’s orchestra conducted by Neil Ferris featuring Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3.
In March 2009 Lankova was named a Steinway Artist joining a roster of the world’s finest pianists [2].
Discography
- Sergei Rachmaninov & Franz Liszt (2004, CD)
Rachmaninov Preludes Op.23, Liszt Rapsodie No.2 with cadence by Rachmaninov
- Alexander Scriabin (2006, CD)
Sonates No.2 & No.9, Pieces Op.32, Op.57
- Frederic Chopin (2008, CD)
Sonata No.3, Ballade No.1, Scherzo No.2, Nocturnes
References
External links
(1) Official Web Site of Irina Lankova
(2) Reviews of Concerts & Recordings
(3) Irina Lankova's Youtube channel
(4) Irina Lankova’s fanclub on Facebook