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Top performing Russian pianist Slava Poprugin (born 1973) represents a different and unique approach to how the classical music repertoire is brought to public. His performances, be them recitals, chamber music or playing with orchestras, are always provocative yet full of sense and sincerity. The audience is taken onboard to live the story from the first till its last moment. Slava’s way to communicate to public made him a sought-after musician on many stages worldwide.

Mr. Poprugin has 26 years long experience in musical education. He graduated from Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow (the top rated musical pedagogy institution in Russia) in 2000, however he already started teaching at the age of 17, when he was giving lessons to children. The last 15 years (1999 – 2015) he was a docent in Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he led piano solo and chamber music classes. Amongst his alumni from both classes are Olga Pashchenko, Maria Lyapkova, Dmitry Prokofiev and Alexander Buzlov.

Upon the graduation from the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow he immediately started a fruitful collaboration with Natalia Gutman, one of the world's most esteemed cello performers. This resulted in his growth and recognition as a great performer of the chamber music repertoire. Gutman and Poprugin joint performances for more than 15 years literally covered the world with concerts in Europe, Russia, South America, Asia and Pacific on such stages like Tchaikovsky and Moscow Conservatory Halls, National Concert Hall in Taipei, Hoam Art Hall in Seoul and Sala Ceci´lia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro.

Slava’s other remarkable collaborations include performances with Yury Bashmet, Alexander Buzlov, Martin Fro¨st, Alexander Kagan and others at the renowned chamber music festivals in Kuhmo, Rheingau and Kreuth. The most recent performances are inspired by a collaboration with violinist Lisa Ferschtman with concerts in Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nijmegen with a great critical acclaim.

Next to a chamber music performance schedule Slava has an active recital life. Due to his wide interests the span of his programs covers almost the whole universe of piano music from Beethoven and Chopin till John Cage, Valentin Silvestrov and Galina Ustvolskaya, performed at the stages of Moscow International House of Music, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Musiikkitalo Helsinki Music Centre and others.

In his search for new discoveries and ways to communicate to public he actively collaborates with other pianists. The most recent and prominent performances include duo programs with Alexei Lubimov at Arnold Scho¨nberg center in Vienna with the Second Vienna School and Russian avantgarde music and Stravinsky and Satie “Paris Joyeux & Triste” in Haarlem and Moscow, and a big series of concerts with the music of Simeon ten Holt together with Alexei Lubimov, Alexander Melnikov, Alexey Zuev and Jeroen van Veen, performed in Bayreuth, Antwerp, Berlin and Tallinn.

Mr. Poprugin is a demanded soloist for the concerts with orchestras as well. Here he plays a wide variety of programs with music of Mozart, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Schumann, Ravel with such conductors like Susanna Ma¨lkki, Vladimir Jurowski, Dmitry Liss, Vladimir Verbitsky and others.

Slava’s programs and concerts are also available on CDs, both recitals and in ensembles with Natalia Gutman (Live Classics), Alexander Buzlov (Delos), Alexei Lubimov (Alpha).

Slava Poprugin’s style that characterizes him as a prominent carrier of the renown Russian piano school phenomenon, planted decades ago by Heinrich Neuhaus and Konstantin Igumnov. Slava sincerely hopes to bring a true joy and empathy for music to his listeners with the help of his unique program approach.