Alexander Toradze

Alexander Toradze is universally recognized as a masterful virtuoso in the grand Romantic tradition. He has enriched the Great Russian pianistic heritage with his own unorthodox interpretative conceptions, deeply poetic lyricism and intensely emotional excitement.

Toradze’s recording of all five Prokofiev concertos with Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra for the Philips label is acclaimed by critics as definitive. He has also recorded the two Piano concerti by Shostakovich with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Järvi.

Toradze has appeared as soloist with literally all major orchestras in the world, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Filarmonica della Scala, the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and the NHK Symphony Orchestra with his best friends, some of the leading conductors of today, such as Valery Gergiev, Esa Pekka Salonen, Yukka Pekka Saraste, Mikko Frank, Neeme, Paavo and Kristian Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski and Gianandrea Noseda, but also emerging talents such as Daniele Rustioni and Dima Slobodeniouk.

For over 25 years, Alexander Toradze has held a professorship at the Indiana University South Bend, where he has created the unique experience of the Toradze Piano Studio. Talents from all over the world have been realizing piano marathons dedicated to iconic composers for piano such as Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, which have been presented in major concert halls and festivals, including the Goulbenkian Foundation in Portugal, the Rome Santa Cecilia in Italy, the Salzburg Festival in Austria and the Ruhr Piano Festival in Germany.

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Alexander Toradze graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow under Lev Naumov, one of the most respected teachers at the Russian piano school, and launched an international career after winning a controversial edition of the Van Cliburn Competition in 1977.

Banner photo by Susan and Neil Silverman Photography
Photo of Alexander Toradze by Peter Ringenberg