Sergejs Osokins

Sergejs Osokins was born in 1960. He began studying piano performance at Emīls Dārziņš Special Secondary Music School (Riga, Latvia, teacher Juta Daugule) and continued his piano education at the P.Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory with Prof. Nina Yemelyanova (1978-1983). After graduation with distinction he took the post-graduate courses at the same conservatory as a pianist and later also as a musicologist (1983-1988), defending his dissertation at Moscow P.Tchaikovsky    Conservatory in 1992. Since 1988 after returning from Moscow he has been working in Riga as a pianist, professor of Latvian Academy of Music (Piano department) and  Em.Darzins Special Music School. In 2004 he was awarded the Doctor of Arts degree.
Professor Sergejs Osokins often performs in Latvia, also in Norway, Russia, France. He has appeared with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Latvian Academy of Music, performing concertos: by Beethoven, Brahms, Vasks “Message”. He has participated at International Piano Stars Festival (Liepaja, Latvia). several times In 2004 he received the Latvian Great Music Award for  his performances of Brahms's Second Piano Concerto and series of recitals. In 2008 he received the Annual Prize of Swedbank and Latvian Academy of Music – The Best Teacher of the Year.
Many of his students have won prizes in international piano competitions. Amongst them are: Arta Arnicane – 12 prizes including Vianna da Motta Competition (Lisbon, 2001, 5th prize), Grieg Competition (Oslo, 2005, 3rd prize), Beethoven, Hradec (Czech Republic, 1999, 2nd prize) and Newport (2000, 2nd prize) competitions, 5 first prizes in various British competitions in 2003-2004, Jazeps Vitols International Piano competition (Riga, 2008, 3rd prize); Elina Bertina – Diploma of Jazeps Vitols International Piano competition (Riga, 2002); Andrejs Osokins - Robert William & Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition  (Birmingham, 2005, 1st prize), XXII Porto International competition (Portugal, 2005, 2nd prize), Best Mozart piano concerto (Trinity College, London, 2006, 1st prize ), Jazeps Vitols International Piano competition (Riga, 2008, 1st prize); Vestards Shimkus – Young Artist 2001 (Stockholm, Grand Prix), F.Liszt Competition (Los Angeles, 2002, Grand Prix),  Latvian Great Music Award 2002; Olga Jegunova – Animato Stiftung competition (Zurich, 2008, 2nd prize ); Jekaterina Sarajeva – Prizes in four competitions in Latvia and Lithuania.
Sergejs Osokins on regular basis gives masterclasses in Latvia and Norway. He has been a jury member of various international piano competitions – many Latvian competitions, Grieg competition (Oslo), Piano competition in Velikiy Novgorod (Russia).