Maxim Rysanov is undoubtedly one of the world’s best and most charismatic viola players.
He is regularly invited to perform as a soloist and chamber musician in the UK and abroad and has been a guest at many prestigious festivals and venues worldwide. He works regularly with prestigious artists such as, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Janine Jansen, Giya Kancheli, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Lev Markiz, Viktoria Mullova, Julian Rachlin, Maxim Vengerov, the ASCH trio and others. His UK solo performances have included the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and St. John’s Smith Square.
Originally from the Ukraine he is now based in London after having studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and prior to that at the Central Special Music School in Moscow. He is a prize-winner of several major international awards, including the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, the Guildhall Gold Medal, Valentino Bucchi International Viola Competition, Carmel International Chamber Music Competition, Haverhill Symphonia Soloist Competition and most recently the prestigious Geneva Competition.
Maxim has always devoted a large part of his creative energies to promoting new music. Several works have been dedicated to him, including pieces by Dobrinka Tabakova and Elena Langer and more recently he gave the world premiere of a new Duo Concertante work for viola and cello by Artyom Vassiliev at the Spitalfields Festival with the Britten Sinfonia.
Highlights of the current season include his debut in Japan and China in the trio arrangement of the J.S. Bach Goldberg Variations with Julian Rachlin and Mischa Maisky and a performance of Mozart’s Sinfonie Concertante with Augustin Dumay and the Orchestre Royale de Wallonie at the Beijing Festival. He also performed this key work in the viola repertoire with Janine Jansen and the European Union Youth Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy in London.
This season Maxim made his orchestral debut in Germany performing the Bartok Concert for Viola with the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Tamas Vasary. He is also continuing the Goldberg Variations tour with performances at Europe’s most noted venues such as the South Bank Centre London, National Concert Hall Dublin, Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Vienna etc. He also appeared this year as concerto soloist at the Mostly Mozart Festival at the Barbican Hall in July
Maxim has just released his debut recital disc with Evelyn Chang on the Avie label which was nominated as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone magazine. Also in planning are a duo recording and world tour with Janine Jansen for Decca and a further disc comprising Giya Kancheli Styx and John Tavener Myrrh Bearer on the Onyx label. Both are scheduled for 2007.
After a conducting fellowship at the Guildhall School of Music and winning the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Young Conductor scheme, Maxim also has a burgeoning career as a conductor.
Maxim is delighted to have a Giuseppe Gaudagnini (1780) viola on extended loan from an anonymous donor.