The British music magazine Gramophone reviewed Oleg Marshev’s recording of Prokofiev’s music and stated it was “one of the most authoritative and impassioned performances on disc so far.”

His interpretation of Prokofiev’s Three War Sonatas was recently awarded the prestigious accolade “Classical CD Choice” against such competitors as Richter, Berman, and Ashkenazy.

Born in Baku, former USSR, Oleg Marshev trained with Valentina Aristova at the Gnessin School for Highly Gifted Children and with Mikhail Voskresensky at the Moscow Conservatory, where he completed his Doctorate in performance in 1988, gaining the diploma with honor. Marshev is thus a direct representative of the fifth generation of Russian pianism since Liszt, through Alexander Siloti, Konstantin Igumnov, and Voskresensky’s teacher, Lev Oborin. A resident of Italy since 1991, Marshev has received awards in several international piano competitions in Canada, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the USA, including four first prizes. The illustrious competition victories have confirmed the artist’s reputation as one of the most talented Russian pianists of his generation.

In 1991, he made his New York debut with a highly acclaimed recital at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. The following year, he appeared at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, which led to other invitations to perform at this prestigious hall. Since then, he has performed throughout the world from Canada to New Zealand, performing with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic and appearing at such important venues and festivals as Wigmore Hall of London; the A.B. Michelangeli Festival of Brescia-Bergamo, Italy; Ruhr Klavier Festival, Germany; and Festival at Roque d’Antheron in France.

In addition to his concert engagements, Oleg gives masterclasses in many different countries and is a professor at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, Austria.

Oleg Marshev’s first recording project was the complete original works for solo piano by Prokofiev (five CDs) for Danacord Records. He has since recorded more than 35 CDs for the same label, featuring works by Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, and others. He has made the world premier recording of Emil von Sauer’s complete piano music in six volumes. Another result of the artist’s abiding interest in little-known or forgotten music is a recording of Danish romantic piano concertos in four CDs. Oleg Marshev is probably the first pianist ever to have recorded the complete works for piano and orchestra by the great Russian Four – Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. In July 2014, two releases came out: the complete works of Chopin for piano and orchestra in two CDs and the complete works of Mendelssohn for piano and orchestra in four CDs.

All of Marshev’s recordings have received widespread critical acclaim by leading international publications. His Shostakovich concerti disc was reviewed by BBC Music Magazine: “Marshev is a phenomenon: master of every mood from strip-cartoon crispness to thundering monster, but above all a controlling sensibility of intelligence and feeling.”

Oleg Marshev is a Jury Member of the 2019 Olga Kern International Piano Competition.