Vestards Šimkus

Studies Emīls Dārziņš Music College, Riga, Prof. Ruta Švinka, Lilita Muižarāja, Teofīls Biķis, Sergejs Osokins. Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia, Madrid, Prof. Dmitry Bashkirov and Prof. Claudio Martinez Mehner. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Prof. Daniel Pollack. Richard Strauss Munich Conservatory, Prof. Vadim Suhanov. Awards 2009: 1st prize, Maria Canals International Music Competition, Barcelona. 2007: Winner, 5th Bad-Kissingen Klavier Olympiade. 2002: 1st prize, Los Angeles Franz Liszt International Piano Competition. 2001: 1st prize, Stockholm International Young Music Performers Competition. 2002, 2009: Latvian Great Music Award (2002, 2009). Highlights 2008-2010 Recitals Riga Great Guild (Euroradio Special Chopin Day broadcast); Sala Verdi, Milan; Shanghai Oriental Art Centre; Library of Congress, Washington D.C.; Auditorio Barcelona; Salle Cortot, Paris; Gasteig, Munich; Belgrade Kolarac Hall; Berlin Konzerthaus; Amsterdam Concertgebouw; Rudolfinum, Prague; Moscow Conservatoire; Palau de la Musica, Barcelona. Ensembles Isabelle van Keulen, Borodin Quartet. Soloist City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, NDR Orchestra, Hamburg; Orquestra Sinfonica del Valles, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Rīga, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, KREMERata Baltica, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra. Conductors Lawrence Foster, Andris Nelsons, Vassily Sinaisky, Karel Mark Chichon, Teodor Currentzis, Anu Tali, Eri Klas, Jonathan Darlington, Olari Elts, Salvador Brotons, Woldemaar Nelsson. Tours Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, China, Japan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, USA. Repertoire Concertos: Mozart (No. 20 with candenzas by Shimkus, No. 23, Double Concerto), Beethoven (Nos. 3, 4, 5, Choral Fantasy), Mendelssohn (violin, piano and strings, piano and strings), Chopin (No. 2, Variations on “Là ci darem la mano”), Liszt (Hungarian Fantasy), Brahms (Nos. 1, 2), Grieg, Rachmaninoff (No. 3, Paganini Rhapsody), Scriabin (Prometheus), Prokofiev (No. 3), Shostakovich (No. 1), Ravel (Piano Concerto in G major), Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue, Variations on “I Got Rhythm”), Pärt (Credo), Vasks (The Message), Corea (No. 2), Andris Dzenītis (world premiere March 2011), Shimkus. Solo: Bach, Soler, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Balakirev, Ravel, Turina, Gershwin, Horowitz, Gould, Takemitsu, Latvian music (including Vasks, Breģe, Grīnups, Vītols, Jānis Mediņš, Shimkus). Discography Antonio Soler, Sonatas No. 16-27, NAXOS 8.572616 (digital release on April 2011, CD release on February 2012). Pēteris Vasks, The Seasons, WERGO 67342, 2009. Glenn Gould, The Complete Piano Works, SCHOTT, 2006. Fantasies, Herman Braun Foundation and Carmina Baltica, 2003. © LMIC, 2010