Profile

Ilia Rachkovski is recognized as one of the most promising pianists of his generation. He recently completed a tour in Japan as the Second Prize winner at the Long-Thibaut International Competition in 2001 and performed Chopin and Prokof'ev to great acclaim. Other international competition credits include First Prize at the International Vladimir Krainev Competition for Young Pianists in 1998, and First Prize at the International Competition in Marsala, Italy. He won 1st prize at Hong Kong Int’l Piano Competition in ’05 which V. Ashkenazy served as jury president in. Recently He also received 4th prize at Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2007.

Ever since he performed with the Irkutsk Chamber Orchestra at the age of eight, Ilia has given recitals not only in Russia, but also in Hanover, Oldenburg and Hamburg, and at music festivals in Colmar, France and Kiev (with the Kiev Symphony Orchestra).

Born in Irkutsk, Siberia in 1984, Ilia began his piano studies at the age of five, progressing to the special course at the Novosibirsk Conservatoire, Siberia. He studied in France on a scholarship from the Rostropovich Foundation.

After studying the piano under Vladimir Krainev at Hanover School of Music, Ilia is currently studying with Professor Marian Rybicki at l'Ecole normale supérieure de musique in Paris, France. 

Discography