Konstantin Scherbakov established his international reputation by playing the late-romantic virtuoso repertoire and made his name through the realization of a number of large projects, both in studio and on the concert stage.

His unique repertoire choices in combination with his prolific virtuosity and deep musical insight, have formed the artist’s profile and fascinated audiences worldwide. As “one of the most capable, daring, and interesting musicians of these days” (Peter Cossé) and in co-operation with the “Naxos” and “Marco Polo” labels, Scherbakov has completed some of today’s most unique and significant recording projects. Among them – the complete piano works of Leopold Godowsky, Respighi, and Shostakovich and the complete piano concertos by Tchaikovsky, Respighi, Medtner, and Scriabin. Whether in lesser-known repertoire, such as Lyapunov, Godowsky, and Medtner or in works by Schubert, Scarlatti, and Chopin, his new, often unconventional, but always profound readings have set new standards and often caused sensation.

Many of these projects have found their way onto the concert stage. Celebrated as the “Rachmaninoff of today” (Lucerne Festival), the triumphant winner of the 1^st Rachmaninoff Piano Competition in Moscow launched his international career with a memorable performance of the complete Rachmaninoff piano solo works at the XXth Music Festival in Asolo, Italy. The two-evening performance of the complete Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich at different venues, notably at the 2005 Salzburg Festival, was enthusiastically met by both public and press (“One cannot play Shostakovich any better!” Die Presse, Vienna). Lately, Scherbakov has received international acclaim for his performances of Liszt’s transcriptions of all Beethoven’s Symphonies.

Konstantin Scherbakov has given solo performances in 35 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, in the USA, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America. He has played in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world such as Philharmonic of Cologne, Wigmore Hall London, Herkulessaal, Philharmonic and Prinzregententheater Munich, Tonhalle Zurich, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire, Rudolfinum Prague, Beethovenhalle Bonn, new Congress-Hall Luzern, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, National Hall Taipei, Musikhalle Hamburg, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Berlin, Atheneum Bucharest, Casals Hall Tokyo, Victoria Hall Singapore, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Arts Centre Seoul, Konzerthaus Vienna, and Warsaw Philharmonic Hall among others.

Konstantin Scherbakov has been guest to important international music festivals such as Salzburg, Frankfurt, Bregenz, Bodensee, Lucerne, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Bad Kissingen, Schubertiade Feldkirch, and Schwarzenberg, Singapore Piano Festival, Piano Rarities Husum, Beethoven Festival Krakau, and Warsaw, Lebanon Music Festival, “Primavera concertistica” Lugano, Evian, Colmar, Liszt Festivals in Raiding and Weimar, Piano Festival Lucerne, and numerous festivals in Italy, France, New Zealand, USA, Russia, and Switzerland.

Boasting a phenomenal concerto repertoire of nearly 60 concertos, Konstantin Scherbakov performed as soloist with more than 70 orchestras, among them the Russian State Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, Stuttgart and Duisburg Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra, Philharmonics of the Nations, Munich Symphony, George Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest, Weimarer Staatskapelle, Sofia Philharmonic, Bach Collegium Munich, Montreal Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Orchestre d’Ile de France, Ukrainian and Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestras, Ulster Orchestra, Wiener Kammerorchester and with conductors Christian Thielemann, Yuri Simonov, Rudolf Barshai, Nello Santi, Kirill Petrenko, Christian Mandeal, Aldo Ceccato, and Andrei Boreiko, among others.

For almost two decades Konstantin Scherbakov has been one of the protagonists of the “Naxos” label. He has a constantly growing discography on “Naxos” and “Marco Polo” and records for EMI Classics and “Two Pianists” labels – all comprising more than 40 CDs featuring over 300 titles. Many recordings have received prizes and awards such as Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Cannes Classical Award. Scherbakov was one of the first artists signed by EMI Classics for their Debut-Series. In 1995, he became a “BBC International Artist.”

Born in Barnaul, Russia, Konstantin Scherbakov made his debut with the philharmonic orchestra of his native town at the age of 11, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Soon after, he moved to Moscow to continue his musical education at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire with the legendary professor Lev Naumov. The triumphant winner of the 1st Rachmaninoff Competition in 1983, Konstantin Scherbakov performed with all the leading orchestras of the former Soviet Union and played recitals in more than 100 cities in all republics of his native country. After winning an array of prizes at prestigious international competitions (Montreal, Bolzano, Rome, Zurich) he continued his artistic career in Europe. Since 1998, Konstantin Scherbakov has been Professor at the Zurich University of Arts; many of his students received prizes at international piano competitions, most notably Yulianna Avdeeva, the winner of the XVI Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

Konstantin Scherbakov is a jury member of many international competitions, such as ARD Munich, Busoni (Bolzano), Liszt (Weimar), Rio de Janeiro, Youth Tchaikovsky (Seoul), Havana, and others.

He lives and works in Zurich, Moscow, and Palamos on the Catalan coast.