Combining fierce pianism, an unrivalled breadth of repertoire, and a level of interpreta-
tive refinement that transcends to the realms of poetry,Vadym Kholodenko rises as an artist
the likes of which the world has rarely seen since the great pianists of the Golden Age.
Gold Medallist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Kholodenko’s distin-
guished pianism and profound artistic gifts have led to invitations from many of the world’s
finest orchestras and concert halls.
Highlights include concerto performances with leading orchestras of North America
(Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orches-
tra); Europe (Danish National Symphony, London Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano
G.Verdi, and the Orquesta Nacional de España); and Asia & the Far East (National Symphony
Orchestra of Taiwan, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony
Orchestra). He has held the position of Artist-in-Residence with the Fort Worth Symphony
Orchestra (Texas, USA) and the SWR Sinfonieorchester (Stuttgart, Germany).
In recital, Kholodenko appears on the world’s leading stages – from London, Paris, and
Vienna, to Boston, Chicago, and New York – where he is praised for his “iron-clad technique,
capable of moments of crystalline delicacy” (The Guardian). He is also a thoughtful and
committed chamber musician, enjoying rewarding collaborations with an array of such artists
as Clara Jumi-Kang, Anastasia Kobekina,Vadim Repin, and the Belcea and Jerusalem string
quartets. He has made numerous recordings with violinist Alena Baeva, with whom recent
and forthcoming appearances include concerts in the cultural capitals of Florence, London,
and Paris.
Possessing an extraordinary facility for the assimilation of music, the sheer scale of of
Kholodenko’s knowledge and command of the piano literature is unrivalled, and he holds a
vast array of active repertoire. His discography to date encompasses solo piano works by a
diverse list of composers (J.S. Bach, Balakirev, Beethoven, Chaplygin, Kurbatov, Liszt, Medtner,
Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Rzewski, Schubert, Scriabin, Siloti, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky, amongst
others). Recordings for the Harmonia Mundi record label include the Grieg Piano Concerto,
Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.2, and the complete cycle of Prokofiev’s piano concertos.
Kholodenko’s recordings have been described as “truly outstanding” (Gramophone Maga-
zine), and received such accolades as Editor’s Choice Award (BBC Music Magazine), and the
much-coveted Diapason d’Or de l’année. His latest release – a pairing of Beethoven’s Diabelli
Variations and Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! for the Quartz Music
label (2022) – met with tremendous critical acclaim, described as “carefully contoured and
impactful” (BBC Music Magazine), and “playing that pulls no punches: Kholodenko is in the
elite of classical pianists” (Norman Lebrecht, for The Critic).
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine,Vadym Kholodenko took his first piano lessons at the age of six,
and began touring internationally at thirteen years old. He was educated at the Kyiv Lysenko
State Music Lyceum and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, under the renowned
pedagogues Natalia Gridneva, Borys Fedorov, and Vera Gornostaeva. He won First Prize at
the Sendai International Piano Competition (2010) and Schubert International Piano Competi-
tion (2011), before taking the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
(2013). He is now resident in Luxembourg.