Mikhail Pletnev in Reykjavík — One of the Greatest Pianists of Our Time at Harpa 

  On 19 October, Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík will welcome Mikhail Pletnev for a solo piano recital — one of the most distinguished pianists of our time, an artist whose extraordinary musicianship has held a unique place on the international classical music scene for decades.

Pianist, conductor and composer, Pletnev is renowned for the remarkable individuality of his interpretations, combining breathtaking virtuosity with intellectual depth, freedom and poetic sensitivity. Every appearance is more than a performance of familiar masterpieces — it is a fresh discovery of the music.

Mikhail Pletnev was born in 1957. At the age of 17, he entered the Moscow Conservatory, and at just 21 achieved international recognition by winning First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978. This triumph launched an international career that has taken him to the world's leading concert stages across Europe, Asia and North America.

Pletnev's extensive discography has received numerous international distinctions, including the Diapason d’Or, ECHO Klassik, Choc du Monde de la Musique and Gramophone Award. His recording of Scarlatti sonatas was described by BBC Music Magazine as “piano playing at its greatest”, with the magazine noting that this recording alone was enough to secure Pletnev a place among the greatest pianists.
In 2005, Pletnev received a Grammy Award for his own arrangement of music from Prokofiev’s Cinderella. His recordings of Schumann’s Symphonic Études and the piano concertos of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev have also received Grammy nominations. The New Yorker included his complete recording of Beethoven’s symphonies and piano concertos among its best recordings of the year.

Critics have consistently praised the independence and originality of Pletnev’s musical thinking. The Guardian has described his playing as “exceptional: refined, thoughtful and utterly compelling”, while The Telegraph has noted that his performances are never merely conventional — they convey a constant sense of discovery, rethinking and renewal.

Pletnev has appeared at many of the world’s major international festivals, including the BBC Proms, Schleswig-Holstein, Verbier, La Roque d’Anthéron and Rheingau, collaborating with leading orchestras and musicians around the world.

His artistic life extends far beyond the piano. Pletnev is also a distinguished conductor, composer and creator of celebrated piano transcriptions. His arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s ballets The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty have become part of the international piano repertoire and are regarded as some of the most technically demanding works of their kind.

On 19 October, Reykjavík audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience Mikhail Pletnev in a solo recital at Harpa — an artist for whom music remains a realm of absolute freedom, exploration and discovery.

Pianist. Conductor. Composer. One of the defining musicians of his generation.
Pletnev himself puts it much more simply:
“I am just a musician.”