Welcome to the Light – Konstantin Lapshin – Music for our time – 7pm

Konstantin Lapshin is a distinguished Russian multi-award-winning pianist living in London. He teaches at the Royal College of Music where he also received his Doctoral degree in 2019. Since then he has given masterclasses internationally and served as a jury member for International Piano Competitions and Festivals, most recently – International Piano Competition Julio Rospigliosi ´Premio Schumann´ (Italy), Beethoven Piano Competition (RCM, London), Chamber Music Competition (RCM, London) and others. During his time at the RCM, Konstantin won the Chappell Gold Medal and the College’s highest prize for the most outstanding student (across all disciplines), the Queen Elisabeth Rose bowl. He subsequently played for HRH Prince Charles and in the same year was nominated ‘Rising Star’ to play at Cadogan Hall, London.  Before moving to London, Konstantin completed his studies in the Moscow State Conservatoire with Lev Naumov and Michail Voskresensky. Konstantin has performed in major concert halls around the world to much critical acclaim. He has given recitals and concerto appearances across Europe, including the Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room at the South Bank centre, Cadogan Hall, Steinway Hall, St. Martins-in-the- Fields, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Fairfield Hall, and Salle Cortot in Paris, Piano Salon Cristofori (Berlin) and others.

Among Konstantin´s recent most exciting large-scale performances stands his concert in Odessa (Ukraine). He was invited to play Rachmaninov’s Concerto no.3 with Odessa Philharmonic and Grammy award-winning conductor and pianist Mikhail Pletnev as part of the first-annual ‘Black Sea Music Fest’. The concert was organised in memory of victims of the war in Ukraine and received a big resonance in media.

Konstantin is also much in demand as a chamber musician. His collaboration with British violinist Madeleine Mitchell has led to several important performances in the UK. The CD of the music by Welsh composer Grace Williams recorded on ´Naxos´ with Madeleine Mitchell and other musicians has recently been named ´The CD of the Week´ by the Guardian and was second in the UK classical music charts.

Konstantin has been a major prize-winner in more than 15 International and National piano competitions such as the Schubert International Piano Competition in Dortmund, Maria Yudina International Piano Competition in St Petersburg, 1st Gnessin International Piano Competition in Moscow, Rachmaninov International Piano Competition, Moscow, Novosibirsk International Piano Competition, Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition in the UK. Most recently he won 2 Prize in the Isidor Bajic International Piano Competition (Serbia), 1St Prize in the Mendelssohn Cup Competition in Taurisano (It.), 1st Prize and Public prize of the Schumann Prize International Competition in Lamporrecchio (It)

Recordings of Konstantin have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Orpheus Radio (Moscow) as well as National Radio in Serbia and Poland In autumn 2009, Konstantin made his debut recording with Classical Records including works by Tchaikovsky/Pletnev and Schumann, to much critical acclaim. Konstantin is supported by the Worshipful Company of Musicians and is a Concordia and Kirkman Society artist.