Samson Tsoy

Samson Tsoy

Russia

30 y.o.

Samson Tsoy, described as “the most promising pianist” by BBC Music Magazine, gained an international acclaim by becoming a Laureate of the 2012 Santander Paloma O’Shea International Piano Competition. Since then he has started to collaborate with Elisabeth Leonskaja, who invited Samson to perform with Jörg Widmann and the Doric String Quartet  at London’s Wigmore Hall at her 70th birthday.

Samson is a 1st prize winner of the 9th Campillos International Piano Competition, a recipient of the Milstein Medal Piano Award, a former City Music Foundation Artist, a Laureate of the Imogen Cooper Music Trust.

Last year Maestro Valery Gergiev invited Samson to make a debut with the Mariinsky Orchestra in St Petersburg performing Liszt’s 1st piano concerto.

He recently performed with Alexander Vedernikov and BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, Diego Masson as part of Philharmonia Orchestra’s Stravinsky: Myths&Rituals at the Royal Festival Hall, Juanjo Mena and Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Roberto Minczuk and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

Samson’s other significant recital and festival appearances include: Wigmore Hall, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Sala Verdi, Aldeburgh Festival, Montreux Septembre Musical Festival, Verbier Festival, Plush Festival, Honens Festival and Rostropovich Festival.

Samson is also a committed chamber musician; his wide experience include performances with Cuarteto Casals, Zakhar Bron, Hsin-Yun Huang, James Campbell, Eugeny Petrov, Felix Dervaux, Helen Donath. In 2009 Samson  formed a piano duo with pianist Pavel Kolesnikov.

Next season will include recitals and orchestra appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mariinsky Theatre, Theatre de la Ville in Paris, and a concert for the United Nations in New York.

Samson graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Royal College of Music in London.

His teachers were Yury Airapetian, Norma Fisher, Vanessa Latarche and Maria Joao Pires.

Envisaged programme

First round

L. van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111

A. Scriabin, Feuillet d’Album, Op. 58

Second round

R. Schumann: Kreisleriana Op. 16

A. Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major, Op. 30

Semifinal

L. van Beethoven: Fantaisie in G minor Op. 77

C.P.E. Bach, Sonata in G minor, Wq. 65:17, H. 47

J. Brahms: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24

Final

F. Liszt: Piano Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S. 124