Elena Kiseleva Piano   

Elena Kiseleva was born in Moscow in 1984, and is the daughter of composer Anatoly Kisselev, whose music is likewise featured here at the Classical Archives. She began her musical studies at the Central Music School affiliated with the Moscow Conservatory, studying with Elena Hoven - a pivotal figure in the history of the Russian piano school dating back to the 1930s. Following graduation, Elena spent a year at the Chopin College, studying with Daniil Kopylov, and then privately with Professor Lev Naumov of the Moscow Conservatory.

Her public performance career began in earnest at age 11, when Elena took taken part in the Bourges Contemporary Music Festival - as the festival's youngest participant. From there numerous concerts opportunities arose, including solo concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, participation in such prestigious festivals as Moscow Autumn and the Glinka Music Festival, and concert tours in Italy, Finland, and England.

The recordings featured here, stemming from November 2003, were produced by Pavel Slobodkin, an ardent promoter of young Russian musicians. They include a recent work, the Fantasia "In Memory of Prokofiev" written by the pianist's father to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Prokofiev's death. This, along with works by Rachmaninov and J.S. Bach (including the unusual and rarely heard Aria with Variations in the Italian Style), demonstrate Elena's keen and promising talents: in the words of Professor Naumov, "Elena Kiseleva is a musician possessing a delicate and lyrical nature. Her technical skills allow her to perform musical proficiently at any level of complexity."