Rostislav Krimer is a classical pianist and conductor, chief conductor and artistic director of th
East-West Chamber Orchestra
Intendant and artistic director of th
East-West-Festival
Friend of UNICEF and Star Ambassador of the 2nd European Games. He was also founder, general and artistic director of th
Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival & Academy

Early life

After studying at the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy (, ) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki ...

in Helsinki and at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, he earned his Postgraduate Diploma and was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in London. In 2020 became Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Concert life

Krimer's first London performance was a recital in

Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( ...

in 2006. The Musical Opinion Magazine wrote of the performance: "Rostislav Krimer knocked out his audience at the Cadogan Hall...He is a pianist of note: watch out for him". He has performed with musicians and ensembles including

Yuri Bashmet Yuri Abramovich Bashmet (born 24 January 1953) is a Russian conductor, violinist, and violist. Biography Yuri Bashmet was born on 24 January 1953 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of Abram Borisovich Bashmet and Maya Zinovyeva Bashmet (née Kri ...

and Moscow Soloists,

Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer (; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holocaust. His mother had ...

and

Kremerata Baltica Kremerata Baltica is a chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). It was founded by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer in 1997. Gidon Kremer is an artistic director of Kremerata Baltica. Descript ...

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...

Maxim Vengerov Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov (; born 20 August 1974) is a Soviet-born Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor. Classic FM has called him "one of the greatest violinists in the world". Vengerov was born in Novosibirsk, the only child of Al ...

, Fazil Say,

Ian Bostridge Ian Charles Bostridge CBE (born 25 December 1964) is an English tenor, well known for his performances as an opera and lieder singer. Early life and education Bostridge was born in London, the son of Leslie Bostridge and Lillian (née Clark). ...

Mahler Chamber Orchestra The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is a professional touring chamber orchestra founded by Claudio Abbado and former members of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra in 1997. The MCO appears throughout the year in about 60–70 concerts and performances. It ...

at venues including the

Berliner Philharmonie The () is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, and home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The Philharmonie lies on the south edge of the city's Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. The Philharmonie is on Herbert-von-Karajan- ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, P.I.Tchaikovsky Hall in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. He has played at festivals including the

Aix-en-Provence Festival The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumenta ...

in France, the

Beethovenfest The Beethovenfest ('Beethoven Festival') is a festival of classical music in Bonn, Germany, dedicated mostly to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven who was born there. It dates back to 1845, when the composer's 75th anniversary of birth was celebra ...

in Bonn, the

Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival The Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival (alternate: ''Internationales Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus'') is an annual chamber music festival located in the Austrian state of Burgenland. It is held at three venues in Lockenhaus: Burg Lockenhaus castle, ...

George Enescu Festival The George Enescu Festival (also known as George Enescu International Festival and Competition), held in honor of the celebrated Romanian composer George Enescu, is the biggest classical music festival and classical international competition hel ...

and the

Ljubljana Summer Festival The Ljubljana Summer Festival is a festival held between July and August in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. First organized in 1953 it is the oldest festival in the country. It attracts notable opera stars, ballet and theatre performers and ...

. Krimer is the founder, general and artistic director of the annual Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival, which has been held in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, Belarus as well as other cities internationally since 2006 more than 15 years. He performed at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games ‘Stars of the 21st Century’ concert along with Kronberg Academy Festival artists. He was playing concertos and recitals for more than ten years in duo regularly with the pianist

Paul Badura-Skoda Paul Badura-Skoda (6 October 1927 – 25 September 2019) was an Austrian pianist. Career A student of Edwin Fischer, Badura-Skoda first rose to prominence by winning first prize in the Austrian Music Competition in 1947. In 1949, he performed w ...

as well as recorded a Mozart double concerto for ERP-Classics. It was the latest CD of Paul Badura-Skoda. Rostislav Krimer plays in a duo with violinist Sergey Krylov. Krimer closely worked together with legendary composer

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

and performed his piano concerto. In 2018 Rostislav Krimer together with

Nils Mönkemeyer Nils Mönkemeyer (born 1978) is a German violist and academic teacher. He has recorded several CDs, of viola literature and arrangements for the viola, making it a respected solo instrument. He has been awarded several international prizes. Car ...

performed a premiere of new founded piece of

Dmitry Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

at the Shostakovich music festival in Gohrisch, Germany. The serie of Meczyslaw Weinberg 4 Chamber Symphonies released by

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

gathered great reviews and 5 stars ratings all over the world including BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Classics Today, nominated for most prestigious awards such as ICMA and Opus Klassik as well as became CD of the Month by MusicWeb and CD of the Week by

Norman Lebrecht Norman Lebrecht (born 11 July 1948) is a British music journalist and author best known as the owner of the classical music blog ''Slipped Disc''. His writings have been accused of sensationalism and criticized for their inaccuracies, while oth ...

. Since 2022 he is Intendant and Artistic Director of th
East-West-Festival
in Germany, which gather best artists from the East and West with a Moto "We Build Bridges".

The Orchestra-For-Peace East-West Chamber Orchestra

The Orchestra-For-Peace East-West Chamber Orchestra brings together lauretates of the Tchaikovsky, ARD, Queen Elisabeth, Long-Thibaud as well as concertmasters and leaders of orchestras like

playing rare instruments such as

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

, Guarneri del Gesù, Guadagnini, and Goffriller. This unique combination gives the East-West Chamber Orchestra its outstanding sound. The orchestra is based in the City of Beethoven - Bonn, Germany, and was founded by Rostislav Krimer in 2015. It has also been the resident orchestra of th
Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival
and has performed across Europe. The orchestra sees itself as an ambassador for transnational cooperation, peace, and cultural exchange throughout Europe and beyond. Since 2023, it has also became the orchestra-in-residence at the East-West-Festival in Germany.

Premieres

* 2005, Rome — "Blue Girl with Red Wagon" piano quintet by

Bruno Mantovani Bruno Mantovani (born 8 October 1974) is a French composer. He has been awarded first prizes from the Conservatoire de Paris which he joined in 1993. His work has been commissioned by the French government as well as other organizations. In Septe ...

, performed jointly with Diemut Poppen, Antonello Manacorda, Gregory Ahss and Zvi Orlianski. * 2010, Lochenhaus — "Canticle of the Sun" by

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Modernism (music), modernist Holy minimalism, sacred music. She was highly prolific, producing numerous Chamber music, chamber, Orchestra, orch ...

, performed jointly with

, the chamber ensemble '

Nicolas Altstaedt Nicolas Altstaedt (born 1982) is a German-French cellist. His versatile career incorporates solo performance, chamber music, conducting, and artistic programming, with a repertoire spanning from early music to the contemporary. Early life and e ...

, Andrei Pushkarev, and the choir "Kamär." In 2012, ECM released a recording of this concert performance. * 2010, Alexander Raskatov „Seasons Digest“ für Violin, Piano and String Orchestra. ''

, Violine, Rostislav Krimer, Klavier''

''.

(Premiere in Germany)'' * 2013 — "Ars Aeterna" for piano by Valery Voronov, dedicated to Rostislav Krimer, at th
Emila Romagna Festival
in Italy. * 2015 Sergio Calligaris Concert for violin, piano and orchestra. Premiere by S''ergej Krylov'''', Rostislav Krimer and Lithianian Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius'' * 2015

Alla Pavlova Alla Yevgenyevna Pavlova (born July 13, 1952, in Ukraine) is a Russian composer. Pavlova was born and initially raised in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. She and her family moved to Moscow in 1961, and she then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1990, where she ...

„Concertino“ for violin, piano and orchestra . Premiere by S''ergej Krylov'''', Rostislav Krimer and Lithianian Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius'' * 2018 - Premiere of the discovered work by

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

, "Impromptu" for viola and piano, performed jointly with

at th
International Shostakovich Days in Gorish
(Germany). * 2018 - World premiere. "Landscapes of Vanishing Memory" by Valery Voronov for viola, piano with strings, dedicated to

and Rostislav Krimer, performed jointly with Yuri Bashmet and the chamber ensemble "Moscow Soloists". * 2021:

George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanians, Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher and statesman. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. Biography En ...

/ Frédéric Chaslin's Sonata for Violin and Piano (arranged for string orchestra). Rostislav Krimer and the East-West Chamber Orchestra. European premiere at the

Enescu Festival Enescu is a Romanian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Adrian Enescu (1948–2016), Romanian composer * Andrei Enescu (born 1987), Romanian footballer *George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georg ...

in Bucharest. * 2022: Valery Voronov (student of

Krzysztof Meyer Krzysztof Meyer (born 11 August 1943) is a Polish composer, pianist, and music scholar, formerly dean of the Department of Music Theory (1972–1975) at the State College of Music (now Academy of Music in Kraków), and president of the Polish C ...

, Germany) concert for violin, piano, and orchestra, dedicated to Rostislav Krimer and Sergei Krylov. Not yet premiered. * 2023:

/ Andrey Pushkarev's "Chamber Symphony" (arranged for string orchestra with vibraphone), commissioned by Rostislav Krimer and the East-West Chamber Orchestra for the George Enescu Festival. * 2023:

Erkki-Sven Tüür Erkki-Sven Tüür (; born 16 October 1959) is an Estonian composer. Life and career Tüür was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition wi ...

's "Leaving behind..." for piano and string orchestra, dedicated to Rostislav Krimer and the East-West Chamber Orchestra (Edition Peters).

Awards

* Associate Royal Academy of Music * Star Ambassador of the 2nd European Games (2019) * Ernst & Young Award “ EY Entrepreneur of The Year” – Laureate * International CSR Award “Philanthropy of the Year” – Laureate * Laureate of the UNISA International Piano Competition, also Zara Jackson Prize for the best interpretation of F.Chopin * 3 prize at the F.Chopin International Youth Piano Competition (Szafarnia, Poland, 1996)

Philanthropic Work

* Rostislav Krimer is the Friend of

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

and Member of the Board of Friends of UNICEF * 1994-2006 performed in hundreds of charity concerts in the Netherlands, the UK, Finland, and other countries for the Peace Fund. These concerts aimed to raise money for Chernobyl Children Rehabilitation Camps after Chernobyl Disuster. * In 2013, he organized and performed at a charity recital for children operations. Together with

. ''Minsk''. * In 2015, Krimer organized a charity event called '15 000 Chances for Life', and performed at the event along with the East-West Chamber Orchestra, the actor

Konstantin Khabensky Konstantin Yurievich Khabensky, People's Artist of Russia, PAR (; born 11 January 1972) is a Russian actor of stage and film, director and philanthropist. From 1997 he was part of the Saint Petersburg Lensoviet Theatre cast until 2000, after whi ...

, and the soloists of the Bashmet Music Festival in Minsk. Over 60 thousand US dollars were raised to buy medicine for the Republican Scientific Practical Center for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology in Minsk. * Since 2016, Krimer has worked closely with UNICEF, organizing the "Annual UNICEF Gala Dinner with Rostislav Krimer & Friends" to help children in need. * In 2023, he also became a partner of Save the Children Germany.

External links

* Rostislav Krimer Official Website (englisch, russian, german
www.krimer.de
* The Orchestra-For-Peace East-West Chamber Orchestr
www.eastwestchamberorchestra.com
* East-West-Festival in German
www.eastwestfestival.com
* Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival & Academ
www.bashmet-festival.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krimer, Rostislav Living people Belarusian classical pianists Sibelius Academy alumni People from Brest, Belarus 21st-century classical pianists Year of birth missing (living people)