Alexander Alexandrovich Romanovsky ( Ukrainian: Олександр Олександрович Романовський) (born 21 August 1984) is a Ukrainian-born
classical pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
resident in Italy. Romanovsky self-identifies as Russian while performing in Russia, and in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Biography
Romanovsky was born in Dniprodzerzhinsk, in the
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
(now
Kamianske
Kamianske ( uk, Кам'янське, ), formerly Dniprodzerzhynsk, is an industrial city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast of Ukraine and a port on the Dnieper. Administratively, it serves as the administrative center of Kamianske Raion. Kamianske hosts ...
in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
). He studied in
Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.
Romanovsky appeared at age 11 with the Moscow Virtuosi under
Vladimir Spivakov
Vladimir Teodorovich Spivakov (Russian: Влади́мир Теодо́рович Спивако́в; born 12 September 1944) is a Soviet and Russian conductor and violinist best known for his work with the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra.
Spi ...
. His piano teacher was Leonid Margarius, a pupil of Regina Horowitz, sister of pianist
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of al ...
. In 1996 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the
Vladimir Krainev
Vladimir Krainev (russian: Влади́мир Все́володович Кра́йнев; 1 April 1944 – 29 April 2011) was a Russian pianist and professor of piano, People's Artist of the USSR.
Biography
Krainev was born in Krasnoyarsk, the ...
International Young Pianists Competition (in Ukraine). At the age of seventeen (2001) he won First Prize at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition. As his teacher Margarius moved to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
to teach at the “Accademia pianistica di Imola”, Romanovsky moved to Italy to continue his studies with him. Romanovsky graduated from the Academy in 2007 with a master's degree. He also studied under pianist
Dimitri Alexeev
Dmitri Alexeev (russian: Дмитрий Константинович Алексеев, ''Dmitrij Konstantinovič Alekseev'', born 10 August 1947 in Moscow) is a Russian pianist. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory, and additionally under Dmitr ...
at the
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...
in London, England, graduating with an "Artist's Diploma" upon completing his studies there in 2008.Romanovsky biography on Mariinsky website. Accessed 6-10-2010. /ref>
Romanovsky has taught at the
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...
(RCM) and at the Conservatorio di Reggio Emilia. In the summer of 2022, Romanovsky was suspended from his position as professor at the RCM, following his playing a street recital in front of the bombed-out
Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater
Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre ( uk, Донецький академічний обласний драматичний театр, russian: Донецкий академический областной драматический те ...
in
Mariupol
Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast ( Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russia ...
in the presence of Russian video cameras, and following an interview given to Russian media alongside his collaborator, the Russian violinist Petr Lundstrem, a supporter of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
.
Discography
; Winner Recital (Busoni Competition)
: (CD , CDX25245) – 2001 - Divox
:* Music by Bach-Busoni, Haydn, Chopin, Liszt, Ligeti, Prokofiev
; Schumann, Brahms
: (CD , 476 6208 DH DDD) – 2007 - Decca Records
:* Robert Schumann - Symphonic Etudes op. 13
:* Johannes Brahms - Variations on a Theme by Paganini op. 35
; Rachmaninov
: (CD , 476 3334 DH DDD) – 2009 - Decca Records
:* Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov - 9 Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39
:* Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov - Variations on a theme by Corelli, Op. 42
; Piano Gold - 63 brani celebri in box dorato (interpreti vari)
: (CD , 480 3631 GB3 ADD) – 2010 -
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
:* Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov - Etudes-Tableaux op.39: n. 3 in do min. (traccia 36)
; Beethoven
: (CD , 476 4151 DH DDD) – 2010 - Decca Records
:*
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
Warner Classics
Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records, Teldec Records and NVC Arts labels. Based in France, ...
:* Aleksandr Konstantinovič Glazunov - Concerto for Piano no 1 in F minor, Op. 92
:* Aleksandr Konstantinovič Glazunov - Concerto for Piano no 2 in B major, Op. 100
; Russian Faust
: (CD , 481 0794 DH DDD) – 2014 - Decca Records
:* Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov - Son. per pf.: n. 1 in re min. op. 28
:* Sergej Vasil'evič Rachmaninov - Son. per pf.: n. 2 in si bem. min. op. 36
; Childhood memories
: (CD, 481 5416 DH DDD) – 2017 - Decca Records
:* Music by Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Shor, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Debussy