Mikhail Pletnev

About

Renowned musician, conductor, and composer who won the 1978 Gold Medal at the VI International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Before Fame

He studied with the famed Yakov Flier and Lev Vlassenko at the Moscow Conservatory.

Trivia

He conducted a meaningful recitation of A German Requiem by Brahms in 2011 with Staatskapelle Dresden in memory of the Dresden firestorm.

Family Life

His family was musical: his father was a bayan player and teacher, and his mother was a pianist.

Associated With

He idolized Sergei Rachmaninoff and modeled both his teaching and his performances after the master.