Anastasia Rizikov facts for kids

Anastasia Rizikov (born December 8, 1998) is a talented Canadian classical pianist. She started playing the piano at a very young age and has since become known for her amazing performances around the world.

About Anastasia Rizikov

Anastasia Rizikov was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She began learning piano at just five years old. Her first teacher was Maia Spis at the Nadia Music Academy in Toronto. Later, from 2017 to 2019, she studied at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in France. There, she earned a special diploma for concert performers.

Early Achievements and Awards

Anastasia has won many important piano competitions. In 2017, she earned third prizes at the 6th Tbilisi International Piano Competition and the 63rd Maria Canals International Music Competition. She also received special awards at these events.

Earlier, in 2015, she won first place at the International Ettore Pozzoli Piano Competition in Italy. She also received prizes for playing a specific piece and for being the audience's favorite. In April 2015, at only 16 years old, Anastasia won the top prize at the 57th Jaén International Piano Competition in Spain.

She continued to win first prizes in other international competitions. These included the "Giuliano Pecar" competition in Italy in 2013 and the Rotary International Piano Competition in Spain in 2011.

Performing on Stage

Anastasia has performed with many orchestras. In 2012, she played Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Balearic Symphony Orchestra in Spain. In 2010, she won a competition that allowed her to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She had already played there in 2009 after winning another competition.

In 2008, Anastasia represented Canada at an international festival in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. She also performed at the "Young Stars of the Young Century" concert in Toronto. In 2006, at just seven years old, she won first place at The Vladimir Horowitz International Young Pianists Competition in Ukraine. This led to her first performance with an orchestra.

Canadian Success

In Canada, Anastasia has also won top awards. She took first prize at both the Canadian Music Competition (CMC) and the Canadian Chopin Competition. The Chopin Competition happens every five years, and her win led to a special concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto.

When she was younger, Anastasia won many local music festivals in the Toronto area. These included the Markham Music Festival, Yips Music Festival, and the Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto.

Special Recognition

In 2012, Anastasia was chosen for the "Debut Atlantic" concert tour. Also in 2012, the Glenn Gould Foundation gave her a special Yamaha piano. This was to help her with her music and career. She can use this piano for as long as she needs it.

In 2014, at age 15, Anastasia performed a very difficult piece, the Rachmaninoff No. 3, with an orchestra in Quebec.

A music critic named Renée Silberman wrote about Anastasia in 2014. She said that Anastasia is an "extraordinary virtuoso" with amazing skill. She also said Anastasia is a "consummate artist, born to play, to love the art and act of music-making." This means Anastasia is not just good at playing, but she truly loves and understands music.

International Concerts

Anastasia Rizikov gives concerts all over the world. She has played in Asia, many countries in Europe (like Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia), the United States, and Canada. Some famous places she has performed include Carnegie Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Koerner Hall, and the Kremlin.

She has played with many different orchestras, including the National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also worked with many well-known conductors.

Anastasia has been featured in many media outlets. She has given interviews and performed on Canadian radio stations like Jazz FM 91 and Classical 96.3 FM. She has also appeared on CBC Television news, CBC Radio, and other TV channels. Her story has been in newspapers like the Toronto Star and in music magazines. An excerpt from one of her videos was even shown briefly on The Oprah Winfrey Show when they talked about gifted children.

Discography

• "WSKG Sessions" (2011)

  Anastasia Rizikov, piano

  DVD & CD

  Recorded by WSKG-TV in Binghamton, NY, United States

• "Piano Recital" (2015)

  Anastasia Rizikov, piano

  CD

  Released on December 2, 2016

  By Naxos Records, in Jaén, Spain