Gala Concert of Prize-Winners of International Television Contest for Young Musicians The Nutcracker

On 16 January (19:00), the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre hosts a gala concert of prize-winners of the International Television Contest for Young Musicians The Nutcracker. Timofei Yakhnov (Wind and Percussion category winner, 2015) will perform Richard Strauss’ Oboe Concerto; Sofie Leifer (Stringed Instruments category winner, 2016) will perform Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1; Maxim Lando (Piano category winner, 2015) will perform Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

After winning the International Television Contest for Young Musicians The Nutcracker, Timofei Yakhnov, Sofie Leifer, and Maxim Lando have already become prize-winners at other international music competitions. They have also won scholarships from prestigious foundations, performed at various venues around the world, and taken part in a number of TV and radio programmes.

Pianist Maxim Lando has appeared in recitals and chamber concerts in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Russia, China, Canada, and the United States. He has also performed with Lang Lang at WQXR. In addition to winning the 1^st prize at The Nutcracker in 2015, Maxim Lando also won the 2^nd prize at the Kissinger Klavierolymp in Germany. Oboist Timofei Yakhnov is a prize-winner and finalist of more than 35 international and all-Russian competitions, including the Silver Trumpets Competition, the Concertino Praga Competition, the Blue Bird Competition, and the Nutcracker. The musician has extensively toured in Russia and abroad.

Violinist Sofie Leifer, the youngest performer at the concert, studies at the Crea Music Academy (Seville, Spain). She took summer courses at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in 2014 and 2015 and became the youngest student in the Accademia’s 83 year history. Sofie’s performance was recorded for Radio 4 (the Netherlands) in 2014.

The International Television Contest for Young Musicians The Nutcracker is an annual competition held by Kultura TV channel in the following categories: piano, stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp), wind (with the exception of the recorder) and percussion instruments.