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Photo by Liudmila Malofeeva
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Photo by Liudmila Malofeeva
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Photo by Xenie Zasetskaya
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Photo by Evgeny Evtyukhov
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Photo by Xenie Zasetskaya
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Photo by Evgeny Evtyukhov
Gershwin Piano Concerto in F
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Rheingau Musik Festival
Rachmaninoff Sonata No. 2
Grand Piano Competition
Saint-Saens Concerto No. 2

“It is all too common for many young virtuosos to offer more flair than substance. But Alexander Malofeev is no ordinary prodigy…Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1 was a showcase for Malofeev. From the pensive opening bars, the work unfolded in multiple dimensions, with playing of fiery intensity and searching expression. Malofeev worked like a sculptor, reveling in the first movement’s melodic curves and thick textures. His pearly tone made the quiet moments shimmer, and the finale sounded with a hymn-like serenity…Malofeev’s artistry is truly remarkable for a young pianist who is at the beginning of what hopefully will be a long and fruitful career.”

Boston Classical Review

“Malofeev is already a special pianist. Plenty of young artists use the Rachmaninoff to show off sparkling technical skills, and Malofeev had those in abundance. But he was interested in something more than that. The first movement was broad, dreamy, nightmarish, the left hand disrupting melodic lines; the cadenza was unsettlingly introspective. The second movement became a balm, the third a triumph, and if that finale was dangerously soaked in schmaltz, well, that’s Rachmaninoff for you. Thomas, to his credit, went where Malofeev took him, and brought the orchestra along, too.”

The New York Times

“From the opening notes, Malofeev, his head bent to the piano, seemed to summon the melody from the keys, as though they were divining rods to which he listened intently. He followed neither Martha Argerich’s ferocious, take-no-prisoners onslaught nor Yuja Wang’s seemingly effortless precision, adopting instead a bewitching sonic terrain of his own, lyrical, sensitive, and haunted. And he brought down the house. After repeated standing ovations, with audience members cheering in the aisles and conductor and soloist arm in arm, Malofeev played, to the hungry delight of the audience, a silky and heartfelt piano version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” pas de deux.”

Boston Globe

“The 20-year old Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev gave an astounding performance in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 during the concert’s first half. He brought to the cadenza of the first movement unexpected weight and force, plus extreme rubato and a couple of daring pauses. As that section drew to a close, you felt as if the pianist had opened up his soul. Malofeev, fair and blond, played from an unusually low bench and often leaned over the keyboard like a scientist examining some rare specimen. His penetrating sound and solid technique kept the 40 minute-long concerto mesmerizing from start to finish.”

Times Union

Alexander Malofeev came to international prominence when, in 2014, he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians at age thirteen. Reviewing the performance, Amadeus noted, “Contrary to what could be expected of a youngster…he demonstrated not only high technical accuracy but also an incredible maturity. Crystal clear sounds and perfect balance revealed his exceptional ability.” Since this triumph, Malofeev has quickly established himself as one of the most prominent pianists of his generation.

Highlights of the 2023-24 season include Malofeev’s return to the Bournemouth Symphony for a multi-concert residency, a solo tour in China, and a European tour with Filarmonica della Scala and Riccardo Chailly, as well as performances at the Munich Isarphilharmonie, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Carnegie Hall. He will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under Kent Nagano, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Marin Alsop, and many others.

Alexander Malofeev performs with some of the most well-known orchestras around the world including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi”, Baltic Sea Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, Orchestre National de Lille, and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. He regularly appears with the most distinguished conductors on stage today, including Mikhail Pletnev, Myung-Whun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Michael Tilson Thomas, Alain Altinoglu, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, JoAnn Falletta, Susanna Mälkki, Lionel Bringuier, Alondra de la Parra, Marcelo Lehninger, Kazuki Yamada, Juraj Valcuha, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Kristjan Jarvi, Kirill Karabits, Vladimir Spivakov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Vasily Petrenko, Andris Poga, and Fabio Luisi, among others.

He has been a guest of renowned music festivals and series including Verbier Festival, International de Piano de La Roque d’Anthéron Festival, Rheingau Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Tsinandali Festival, Master Pianists Series, and Celebrity Series of Boston.

Malofeev was born in Moscow in October 2001. Now residing in Berlin, he continues to give concerts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, where he opened the 30th anniversary concert of the renowned Meester Pianists series. Other recent highlights include concerts at Teatro alla Scala, Musikverein Wien, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Munich Herkulessaal, Philharmonie de Paris, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Theater of the Champs-Elysees, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Roma, Teatro Putruzzelli in Bari, Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Australia, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman.

In addition to his First Prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, he has won numerous awards and prizes at international competitions and festivals, including the Grand Prix of the first International Competition for Young Pianists Grand Piano Competition, the Premio Giovane Talento Musicale dell’anno and Best Young Musician of 2017. Also in 2017, Alexander Malofeev became the first Young Yamaha Artist.

JUNE 2023