Rem Urasin

Rem Urasin is one of his generation’s most romantic pianists and has been referred to as ‘a messenger from Chopin.’ Professor Lev Naumov of the Moscow Conservatoire said of him: His talent, fortunately, combines sincerity, warmth and elegance with wisdom and maturity of his original and always convincing interpretations of the works he performs. His talent is multifaceted and is constantly being developed, eternally striving for tormenting and joyful searches. At the age of 15, Rem Urasin came first in the Moscow International Chopin Youth Competition and three years later was a prizewinner at the XIII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw (1995). Numerous press reviews expressed open delight at his playing. He has been called ‘The Fantastic Tatar’ and one newspaper wrote that ‘This was Chopin himself performing.’ Polish critics have called Rem Urasin ‘Chopinesque’ and the pianist Paul Badura-Skoda referred to him as ‘an outstanding performer of Chopin’s music.’

Rem Urasin was born in 1976 in Kazan. From the age of five he studied the piano at the Specialised Middle School of Music in M. V. Sukharenko’s class at the Kazan State Conservatoire, while at the age of eight he was performing with the Tatar Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 13, Rem Urasin appeared on stage in a recital featuring works by the great Polish composer. It was following this performance that people began to speak of him as a new piano virtuoso. From 1994–2001 Rem Urasin was a student at the Moscow Conservatoire and undertook a trainee assistantship with Professor Lev Naumov.

In 2001 he won Grand Prix at the prestigious World Piano Masters Competition in Monte Carlo. 2004 saw the pianist become a prizewinner at the International Piano Competition in Sydney, at which he was awarded four special prizes. He has performed concerts throughout Russia as well as abroad, appeared with the Russian National Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna and Krakow Chamber Orchestras and the Yekaterinburg Symphony Orchestra among other ensembles. Musicians with whom Urasin has collaborated include Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, Mischa Maisky, Julian Rachlin, Kazimierz Kord, Antony Wit, Fuat Mansurov, Veronika Dudarova and Alexander Rudin. This extremely gifted musician has received standing ovations in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Iceland, Japan, Australia and Taiwan among other countries. He has performed recitals to great acclaim at the Great and Small halls of the Moscow Conservatoire, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Izumi Hall in Osaka, Sydney Opera House and the Concert Hall in Beijing among other major venues.

He has recorded several CDs; his transcriptions for piano are extremely popular. Filmmakers in Kazan have made two films about him – This Eternal Miracle (1993) and Grand Playing (2000). In 2009 and 2010 Rem Urasin prepared the vast Chopin cycle The Complete Works in Eleven Concerts to mark two centuries since the composer’s birth. He has performed every piece of music Chopin wrote, from his first polonaise, composed as a child, to his final mazurka. For every concert the film scriptwriter Riorita Rubtsova, wrote comprehensive notes, reflecting the great composer’s life and destiny, sourcing and using, Chopin’s letters and various relevant materials. Rem Urasin was named Musician of the Year – 2009 in the annual Musical Review’s competition.