vestard shimkus
piano
Described as "a phenomenon" (conductor Paavo Jarvi), "superb" (American Record Guide) and "inspired" (BBC), pianist Vestard Shimkus (born 1984, Latvia) has also been called "one of the greatest pianists of the young generation" (Piano News).
Being a 1st-prize-winner of Maria Canals International Piano Competition (2009) and having been awarded with "Lotto-Förderpreis des Rheingau Musik Festivals" (2014) as well as nominated for the "International Classical Music Award" (2013), he began to gain an international recognition after performances with BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre National de France as well as after performing at Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein, Rheingau, Kissinger Sommer, Bergen and Lockenhaus festivals.
Shimkus began his piano studies at age of five in Riga and subsequently studied in Los Angeles, Madrid and Munich with Dmitri Bashkirov, Claudio Martinez Mehner, Daniel Pollack and Vadim Suchanov as well as composition with Peteris Vasks.
Vestard Shimkus has composed two piano concertos and a number of solo piano and chamber music works some of which have been published by "SCHOTT". He has released eight CD albums and has given several completely improvised solo concerts.