Mikhail Lidsky began his piano studies at age 5, and was admitted two years later to the Gnessin Special Music School in the class of Marina Marshak-Young. From 1978 until his graduation, and later, at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music (1987-1992), he studied with Professor Vladimir Tropp. Lidsky made his first solo appearance with orchestra when he was 13, and gave his first solo recital at 15. While still a student, he performed throughout the former Soviet Union as recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician.

At the Russian Music Society's Eighth All-Russia Piano Competition (Kislovodsk, 1989) Lidsky was awarded the First Prize (joint), as well as a special prize for his interpretation of Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto. Since then he has never taken part in competitions.

In 1991, Lidsky made Moscow debut recitals at the Hall of Columns and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and concertized in the United Kingdom. In the years that followed, he performed throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Finland, Japan, and Taiwan. He has appeared as soloist with The Russian State and Moscow Symphony Orchestras, The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, The Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestras, and the Philharmonic Orchestras of Rotterdam and Japan.

Lidsky performs annual solo recitals in Moscow's Tchaikovsky Hall and elsewhere in Russia, as well as at the Sala Verdi of the Milan Conservatory. He also makes semi-annual appearances with several orchestras in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and gives solo recitals in the Conservatory's Small Hall. In 1996, he began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory as the assistant of the distinguishedpianist and Professor, Elisso Virsaladze. Mikhail Lidsky records for the Arts Core Corp, and Denon labels.

Reviews

"His performance of the Schubert's Sonata in B flat was poetic and full of infinite longing; he seemed to be playing at Schubert's bedside rather than in a hall seating two thousand. Schubert's music seemed to come from a distant twilight world: never aggressive but rather but interrogative, whispering, and evoking."

Corriere della Sera, Milan (Italy)

"Lidsky, totally concentrated and seemingly unaware of this world when on stage, totally controls his audience and makes his listeners share the artist's feelings. He applies his rich sound palette, splendid virtuosity, and excellent sense of musical structure to the service of attaining his main goal – creating harmony and beauty.

The distinguishing, most unique, feature of Mikhail Lidsky's playing is his immaculate sense – and complete command - of sound energy. In the hall, you can actually feel these energetic beams emanating from this outstanding pianist."

Gradskiye Vesti, Volgograd (Russia)

"Mikhail Lidsky gives no 'ordinary' concerts - his extraordinary talent brings extraordinary value to his every appearance before the public. Every moment of music is precious for him. Also, the convincing logic of the musical flow; Lidsky hears music in his own way and articulates it correspondingly, while his approach to time in music is delicate and his control over it, complete."

Philarmonic, Moscow (Russia)

"Mikhail Lidsky is certainly a master pianist. For more than two hours, he knew how to bind an almost reverential audience to himself; nobody wanted to break the trance-like concentration of the master as he made music."

Limburgs Dagblad, Maästricht (Netherlands)