Daniil Trifonov

Daniil Trifonov, in Busko-Zdrój, July 2012

Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (Russian: Дании́л Оле́гович Три́фонов; born March 5, 1991 in Nizhny Novgorod) is a Russian concert pianist and composer. He is fluent in English.

Career

At 17, Trifonov won Fifth Prize at the 4th International Scriabin Competition in Moscow, and First Prize at the 3rd International Piano Competition of San Marino, where he also received the Special Prize for the best performance of Chick Corea’s composition.

In 2010, he played at the Rathausplatz in Vienna's Town Hall Square as one of the seven finalists of the Eurovision Young Musicians. In 2010, Trifonov became a medalist of the distinguished XVI International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where he won Third Prize and the Special Prize of Polish Radio for the best mazurka performance.

In 2011, Trifonov won the First Prize at the 13th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, winning also the Pnina Salzman Prize for the Best Performer of a Chopin piece, the Prize for the Best Performer of Chamber Music and the Audience Favorite Prize .

A few weeks after winning the Rubinstein Competition, Trifonov was awarded the First Prize, Gold Medal, and Grand Prix at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Trifonov also won the Audience Award and the Award for the Best Performance of a Chamber Concerto.

In February 2013 Trifonov made his debut at Carnegie Hall in a concert recorded by Deutsche Grammophon for an album release later that year.

On 23 April 2014, Trifonov premiered his Piano Concerto in E flat minor.

Recordings

2010 - Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition - Double CD album - Fryderyk Chopin

2010 - DUX - Frédéric Chopin

2011 - DECCA - Frédéric Chopin

2012 - Mariinsky - Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Liszt transcriptions of Schubert and Schumann (SACD)

2013 - Deutsche Grammophon - The Carnegie Recital (Liszt, Scriabin, Chopin, Medtner)

Reviews

Pianist Martha Argerich told the Financial Times in 2011 that Trifonov had "everything and more", adding that "What he does with his hands is technically incredible. It’s also his touch – he has tenderness and also the demonic element. I never heard anything like that.”

The Tchaikovsky piano concerto recording was described by "International Piano" magazine as "A simply remarkable disc ... Daniil Trifonov's playing is a heady mix of super-virtuoso and the ability to generate the utmost tenderness ... He demonstrates an enviable variety of touch and shading ... the couplings are as intelligent as they are magnificent".

The BBC Radio 3 CD Review programme of 10 August 2013 opined that: "Now the 21 year old pianist is obviously the real deal, this isn't all flash and dash although there's plenty of both as you all hear but listen out for the expressiveness of Trifonov's approach, the way he plays with the tempo and keeps some of his powder dry for the coda where he almost leaves the orchestra trailing in his wake, and they sound as if they're having a ball as well."

Jed Distler, at Classics Today, in a review of a 2010 CD of Chopin, released on the Polish label Dux Records commented: "Trifonov’s tendency to round off phrases and hesitate before climaxes conveys a primarily lyrical approach lacking in rhythmic vitality and note-to-note continuity. By contrast, the pianist’s shapeless Barcarolle alternates between static languor and pushing ahead at seemingly arbitrary moments, such as in the lurching coda".

External links

• Official website