Special Guest Conductor
Mikhail Pletnev

Mikhail Pletnev is an artist who cannot be classified in one word. Known for his genius and as one of the greatest pianists of our time, he is equally famous as a conductor and composer. Born in Archangel, Russia in 1957. Awarded the 1st prize and Gold Medal at the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978 when he was 21 years old.
The resulting friendship with Mikhail Gorbachev in time gave Pletnev the opportunity to found Russian National Orchestra (RNO) in 1990.
Pletnev is also often invited to conduct noted orchestras such as Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and others. Starting from July 2003, he has been invited to conduct the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and was appointed as Special Guest Conductor from 2015. As a composer, he has been composing numerous works among which there is a cello sonata written for Steven Issarlis. His CDs have been released from Deutsche Grammophon and Pentatone Classics.
In 2022, he founded the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra (RIO).

(Curriculum Vitae as of December 2022)