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The Russian-born German pianist, Stepan Simonian, began his piano studies at the age of 5 and his first teacher was his grandfather, artistic director and chief conductor of Alexadrov's Red Army ensemble. At the age of 7 he entered the renowned Central School of Music in Moscow where his teachers were Siavush Gadijev and Yuri Slesarev. He made his concerto debut with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at the age of 12. During his school years he won Third Prize at the Stephane Elmas Piano Competition organized by the Swiss Stephane Elmas Foundation and the "Most Promising Young Talent Prize" at the Young Concert Artists International Piano Competition in Tunbridge Wells, UK. In 2000, Simonian entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and studied piano with Pavel Nersessian and chamber music with Nina Kogan. One year later he began private lessons with Armen Babakhanian. While he was a student at the conservatory, he won Second Prize in the Yerevan Piano Competition which was dedicated to the 1700 Anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. He graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in 2004.
Upon graduation from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, Stepan Simonian gained an entrance award for postgraduate study at the Hochschüle für Musik und Theater in Hamburg under Evgeni Koroliov. Based in Hamburg ever since, he has already given some notable performances in the USA, Russia and throughout Europe. He played at the Bolshoi Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under Constantine Orbelian, at the Moscow International House of Music. In 2005, he won the First Prize in the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition (formerly Joanna Hodges) in the USA. In January 2006, he made his Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall solo debut. In the summer of 2006, he was a semifinalist in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and in May, 2007, won First Prize in the Elise Meyer Wettbewerb competition in Hamburg. He has performed in Duke's Hall of the Royal Academy of Music, London, the McCallum Theatre in Palm Springs, California, the Kleiner Saal, Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, the Bolshoi Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire and the Palau de Musica in Valencia. In 2008, he earned 3rd Prize at the José Iturbi International Piano Competition in the USA. In 2009 he was awarded the Berenberg Cultural Prize in Hamburg in recognition of his achievements in chamber music. He won 2nd Prize at the 2010 Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig.
Stepan Simonian performs as a guest artist at the most important festivals and concert venues throughout Europe, including the Bachfest Leipzig, the Festival International de Piano de la Roque d'Anthéron, the Moseler Musikfestival, ProArte Hamburg, Pro Musica Hannover. He has appeared as a soloist with the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart under Helmuth Rilling, Hamburger Symphoniker under David Porcelijn, Sinfonia Varsovia, I Pomeriggi Musicali Milan, Moscow Chamber Orchestra and Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig. His performances have been broadcast live, among others, by NDR, MDR, and Hessischer Rundfunk. |
