PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES
Igor Pikayzen, Violinist - Award-winning Russian-American violinist Igor Pikayzen is confidently establishing himself as one of the most prodigious and in-demand soloists of his generation. Praised on four continents by critics and audiences alike for his “astounding technical ability and a majestically lush tone...the stylish Igor Pikayzen” (Strad) is “surely at the forefront of a major musical career” (Moscow Times).
2022-23 sees the release of Igor Pikayzen’s recording of works by Glazunov and Tchaikovsky with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Warner Music, as well as a CD of violin-piano fantasies with longtime collaborator, Tatyana Pikayzen. Upcoming and recent appearances include debuts and re-engagements with Sinfonia Toronto, Filarmónica de Boca del Rio, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, Sinfónica Nacional de Chile, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa, National Symphony of Georgia, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, La Crosse Symphony amongst others. An avid recitalist, Mr. Pikayzen’s season includes recitals at the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago, the Gina Bachauer series in Salt Lake City, debuts at the Ohrid Music Festival in Macedonia and Solisti Festival in France, as well as returns to recital series in New York, Taipei, Mexico City and Denver.
Previous solo appearances include the Moscow Radio Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kielce Philharmonic, Filarmonica din Bacău, Bialystok Philharmonic, Istanbul Symphony, Stamford Symphony, Czestochowa Philharmonic, Izmir Symphony, Arts Blooming Ensemble Taiwan, Tbilisi Opera Orchestra,Yokohama Sinfonietta and countless others under the batons of Lior Shambadal, Łukasz Borowicz, Brett Mitchell, Gürer Aykal, Toshi Shimada, Jorge Mester, Daniel Huppert, Hobart Earle, Jerzy Salwarovski, Roman Revueltas, Enrique Batiz, Thomas Rösner, Vakhtang Matchavariani, Christopher Lyndon-Gee, Alexander Platt and Emil Tabakov. Mr. Pikayzen has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Tchaikovsky Hall and Minor Hall in Moscow, Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, Congreso Nacional in Santiago, Eslite Performance Hall in Taipei, Flagey and Le Bozar in Brussels, Gates Performing Arts Center in Denver, L’Auditori in Barcelona, Le Bourget in Montreal, Toronto Arts Center, Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City and Cadogan Hall in London, to name just a few. He is a guest at the most prestigious festivals in the world, such as Verbier and Schubertiade Sion, in Switzerland, Festival Napa Valley and Festival Mozaic in California, Night Serenades in Georgia, etc.
Grandson of the legendary Soviet violinist Viktor Pikayzen, Igor Pikayzen was born in Moscow, Russia. After receiving his Bachelor's Degree from Juilliard, as well as a Master's Degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music, he was the recipient of the coveted Enhanced Chancellor Fellowship while working on his DMA at the CUNY Graduate Center where he was also on the faculty of Brooklyn Conservatory. Pikayzen is the 1st prize winner of the 2015 Edition of the International Violin Competition Luis Sigall in Viña del Mar, Chile as well as the Gold Medal Winner at the Wronski International Violin Competition in Warsaw, in addition to being a silver medalist at the Szeryng and Kloster-Schöntal international violin competitions. A Violin Channel Artist, Mr. Pikayzen shares his time between New York, Denver and Westport, CT, where he launched an annual summer music festival, Edelio. A frequent guest professor in the most prestigious universities across Europe, Asia, North & South America, in 2019 he was announced as the new Professor of Violin at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.
Sinfonia Toronto now in its 26th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released six CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.
Maestro Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.
