Dmitry Ishkhanov

Dmitry Ishkhanov, regarded as one of the brightest talents among the new generation of pianists, has built a fascinating career that spans continents and cultures. Born into an Armenian family, his journey brought him to Malta at the age of three, where he embraced his Maltese identity.

Among his most notable achievements is his participation in the 2016 Eurovision Young Musicians competition in Cologne, Germany, representing Malta at just 11 years old and becoming the youngest finalist in the history of the competition. At the age of 14, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra under the baton of Miran Vaupotić. In October 2021, he released his first CD, Virtuoso, on the Parma Recordings label, featuring works by Chopin. At only thirteen years of age, he made a highly successful debut at the Lucerne Festival. Following his triumphant performance, the newspaper Luzerner Zeitung wrote: “Evgeny Kissin, Grigory Sokolov… your successor is arriving.”

Dmitry Ishkhanov showed an interest in music at the age of three, when he began playing the piano with his nanny. In 2013, at just eight years old, he had already completed five grades of ABRSM Practical Piano examinations in Malta. Between 2014 and 2020, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with Professors Nina Tichman and Gesa Lücker. At the same time, he attended the Humboldt-Gymnasium in Cologne and completed his secondary education in Malta. He is currently studying at the Mozarteum University Salzburg (Austria) with Professor Pavel Gililov.

Since studying with his first piano teacher, Lolita Poghosyan, Dmitry has never ceased refining his artistry and continues to move steadily towards his greatest dream. Masterclasses with Arie Vardi, Jacques Rouvier, Pavel Gililov, Andreas Frölich, Arkady Zinziper, Leonel Morales, Andrea Bonatta, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Lev Natochenny, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Valeriy Pyasetskiy, Felix Gottlieb, Dmitri Bashkirov, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, Grigory Gruzman, Zhe Tang, Alfred Brendel, Dmitry Alexeev, Bernd Goetzke and many others have had a significant impact on his young career.

Dmitry has earned widespread recognition in numerous international competitions and maintains an active concert schedule, appearing at festivals such as Nuits Musicales du Suquet, the Lucerne Festival, the Washington International Piano Festival, Palazzo Ricci and Piano Academy Eppan, among many others. He has performed in prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center, Cologne Philharmonie, Smetana Hall, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, the Musikverein Goldener Saal in Vienna, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Mozarteum’s Grosser Saal, the Elbphilharmonie, Zurich’s Tonhalle, and both Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall in New York, among many others.