Sometimes you just have to meet the right people: In the case of pianist Roman Borisov, it was thanks to his kindergarten teacher that he was introduced to the legendary piano teacher Mary Lebenzon at the Novosibirsk Conservatory at the age of four, who accompanied him musically until 2020. The lessons paid off, as he won several important competitions and awards as a child. In 2022, Roman Borisov won first prize at the Kissinger KlavierOlymp as the youngest participant – causing a sensation in the piano world. With his natural stage presence and his intuitive yet highly focused interpretations, he is currently securing his place in the world of classical music. In our "Excellent!" series, he will make his debut at the Rheingau Music Festival this year with an impressive program.

Roman Borisov, piano

Schloss Johannisberg

GRAMMY-nominated ensemble ZOFO" class="css-u850">ZOFO" class="css-u850">ZOFO, with internationally acclaimed pianists Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi, have electrified audiences from Carnegie Hall to Japan. One of only a handful of duos worldwide devoted exclusively to piano duets, ZOFO is blazing a bold new path for four-hands groups with their adventurous programming and dazzling artistry.

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ZOFO Duet

Berkeley City Club

Kirill Gerstein is a pianist with “blazing technique [and] wonderful command of color and nuance” (The Wall Street Journal), praised for “the kind of serious, intelligent, and virtuosic music-making that keeps classical music alive” (The Observer). In this recital, he performs Chopin’s Polonaise-fantaisie, a stylistically diverse late work whose genre even Chopin labored to determine. Liszt’s second polonaise follows, composed just several years later (and quite soon after Chopin’s death). Also included are Robert Schumann’s spirited, five-movement piano suite Faschingsschwank aus Wien, and additional selections by Fauré, Poulenc, and Godowsky.

Kirill Gerstein, Piano

Carnegie Hall

The Honors recital of pianist and composer Shayan Kalantar is a demonstration of his piano studies at UC San Diego. Featuring work by composers which have come to guide his compositional direction like Rachmaninoff and Godowsky, as well as one of his own compositions combining field recordings with acoustic improvisation. It is a window into the world which sparks his creativity, while guiding his compositional direction.

Shayan Kalantar - Undergraduate Honors, Composition

University of California San Diego

As the youngest participant in the competition's history, Roman Borisov won the Kissinger Piano Olympus in 2022 – for his "highly musical, intuitive, and at the same time structurally aware interpretations," according to the jury's verdict. His recently released debut album with works by Sergei Rachmaninoff was also well received, with music critic Eleonore Büning praising his mastery and the "tender elegance" of the recording. Rachmaninoff will now also be a focal point of the young Russian's first appearance at the Elbphilharmonie, where he will expand this year's "Pianomania" theme, "Mazurka," to include other dances in triple time.

Leopold Godowsky

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 20, 2026

Roman Borisov / Klavierabend · Elbphilharmonie

Past events

Aug 8, 2025

Roman Borisov, piano · Rheingau Musik Festival

Oct 22, 2024

ZOFO Duet · Berkeley Chamber Performances

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