Mikhail Pletnev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mikhail Pletnev People's Artist of the RSFSR
Background information
Native name	Михаи́л Васи́льевич Плетнёв
Born	(1957-04-14) 14 April 1957 (age 68) Arkhangelsk
Genres	Classical music
Occupation(s)	Pianist, conductor, composer
Instruments	Piano
Labels	Deutsche Grammophon, Pentatone, Virgin Classics

Mikhail Pletnev, born on April 14, 1957, is a famous Russian musician. He is known around the world as a brilliant pianist, a talented conductor, and a creative composer.

Mikhail Pletnev's Early Life and Musical Journey

Mikhail Pletnev grew up in a musical family in Arkhangelsk, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. His father taught and played the bayan, a type of accordion. His mother was a pianist.

Mikhail started his music studies early. He spent six years learning from Kira Shashkina at the Special Music School of the Kazan Conservatory. When he was 13, he moved to the Moscow Central Music School. There, he studied with Evgeny Timakin. Another famous pianist, Ivo Pogorelić, was also in his class, and they became good friends.

In 1974, Mikhail entered the Moscow Conservatory. He continued his studies with well-known teachers like Yakov Flier and Lev Vlassenko.

Winning the Tchaikovsky Competition

When Mikhail was 21, he achieved international fame. He won the Gold Medal at the VI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978. This huge win brought him attention from all over the world. The next year, he performed for the first time in the United States. He also taught music at the Moscow Conservatory. Mikhail Pletnev has said that the famous composer Sergei Rachmaninoff greatly influenced his music.

Founding the Russian National Orchestra

Pletnev conducting, 2017

In 1988, Mikhail Pletnev was invited to play music at an important meeting in Washington, D.C.. There, he met and became friends with Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the leader of the Soviet Union.

Because of this friendship, Pletnev received support to create something special. Two years later, in 1990, he founded the Russian National Orchestra. This was a very important event because it was the first orchestra in Russia since 1917 that was not supported by the government. Mikhail Pletnev became its first main conductor.

The orchestra made its first recordings with Virgin Classics. They released Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony and Marche Slave in 1991. Later, in the late 1990s, Pletnev stepped down as the main conductor. However, he continued to be the orchestra's artistic director, guiding its musical direction.

Recordings and Musical Works

Mikhail Pletnev has made many recordings with the record label Deutsche Grammophon. Most of his recordings feature Russian music. However, in 2007, he recorded all of Beethoven's symphonies.

His first orchestral recordings included works by Tchaikovsky, such as The Sleeping Beauty, his Sixth Symphony, and Manfred Symphony. He also recorded Rachmaninoff's Second and Third Symphonies. Pletnev's recording of Tchaikovsky's First Symphony, also known as "Winter Daydreams," was highly praised by music critics.

Awards and Recognitions for Mikhail Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev has received many important awards for his musical talents:

• 1978: Gold Medal and First Prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
• 1999: Echo Klassik award for his work on Skrjabin's music.
• 2002: State Prize First Class of the Russian Federation, given by President Vladimir Putin.
• 2005: Grammy Awards of 2005 for Best Chamber Music Performance, which he shared with Martha Argerich.
• 2006: State Prize First Class of the Russian Federation for his achievements in 2005, also presented by President Vladimir Putin.

Notable Compositions by Mikhail Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev is also a composer. Here are some of his important works:

• 1978: Quintet for Piano, Flute, Violin, Viola and cello
• 1979: "Triptych" for Symphony Orchestra
• 1985: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra
• 1988: Classical Symphony
• 1997: Viola Concerto
• 2000: Variations on a theme by Rachmaninov
• 2000: Adagio for five Double basses
• 2006: Cello sonata
• 2006: Fantasia Elvetica (First performance: December 9, 2006 Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur Switzerland; Mikhail Pletnev, Conductor; Sascha und Mischa Manz)
• 2009: Jazz suite

Musical Transcriptions by Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev has also created transcriptions. These are pieces of music rewritten for a different instrument or group of instruments.

• 1976: Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin: 2 Concert Pieces from „Anna Karenina“ (Transcription for piano)
• 1978 (?): Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty (Transcriptions for piano)
• 2003: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev: Suite from Cinderella op. 87 (Transcription for two pianos)

Other Honours and Awards

Beyond the major prizes, Mikhail Pletnev has received several other honours:

• Lenin Komsomol Prize (1978) – for his excellent performance skills.
• Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR (1982) – for his concert programs between 1978 and 1981.
• Russian Federation State Prize in Literature and Art:
  • 7 December 1993 – for the concert programs of the Russian National Symphony Orchestra in recent years.
  • 27 May 1996 – for creating and performing the "Alfred Schnittke Festival" in 1994 in Moscow, featuring various works.
  • 9 June 2006 – for his amazing technical skill and new ideas in music, which have made a big impact on culture.
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
• Prize of the President of the Russian Federation in the field of art and literature in 2001 (awarded January 30, 2002).
• 47th Grammy Awards (2005) – for best chamber music performance.

Selected Recordings (Discography)

Here is a list of some of Mikhail Pletnev's recordings:

• Shostakovich Symphonies 4 & 10. Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186647 (2018).
• Tchaikovsky Selections. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Coronation March / Capriccio Italien / Francesca da Rimini / Romeo and Juliet / Slavonic March. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186550 (2016).
• Alexander Scriabin - Symphony No. 1 & The Poem of Ecstasy. Mikhail Pletnev, Svetlana Shilova, Mikhail Gubsky, Vladislav Lavrik, Norbert Gembaczka, Alexander Solovyev, Russian National Orchestra, Chamber Choir of the Moscow Conservatory. PENTATONE PTC 5186514 (2015).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Symphonies and Manfred. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186489 (2015).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Manfred Symphony. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186387 (2014).
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No.15 & Hamlet. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186331 (2009).
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Orchestral Suites. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186362 (2010).
• Maurice Ravel & Serge Prokofiev - Piano Concertos & Schlimé - 3 Improvisations. Mikhail Pletnev, Francesco Tristano Schlimé, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186080 (2006)
• Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905" Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186076 (2006).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13 "Winter Daydreams" Marche Slave Op. 31. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186381 (2012).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Op. 17 "Little Russian" Symphony No. 2 in C Minor. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186382 (2012).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No.3 in D Major, Op.29 Coronation March. PENTATONE PTC 5186383 (2012).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor Op. 36 Romeo and Juliet. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186384 (2011).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64 Francesca da Rimini, Op.32. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186385 (2011).
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6 in B minor, Op.74 "Pathétique" Capriccio italien, Op.45. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186386 (2011).
• Sergei Taneyev - At the reading of a psalm. Mikhail Pletnev, Lolita Semenina, Marianna Tarassova, Mikhail Gubsky, Andrei Baturkin, Vladislav Tchernushenko, Russian National Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186038 (2004).
• Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin. Recital of Mikhail Pletnev (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Mijaíl Pletniov para niños