Anastasia Safonova – piano
Russian-Dutch pianist Anastasia Safonova has been praised by audiences and critics for the depth of her musical insight, her colourful and poetic pianism, excellent virtuosity and captivating energy. Her professional career began at the age of twelve, when she performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto with the Moscow Youth Orchestra. She studied at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music and holds a Master of Music degree from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, where she studied with Naum Grubert.
Safonova is a laureate of several international competitions and winner of first prizes at the Yuri Egorov International Competition and the Yamaha Music Competition. Her concert career has taken her to venues throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey, China and Russia.
Chamber music has always been an important part of her musical life. Her chamber music partners have included Boris Berezovsky, Boris Belkin, Mikhail Kugel, Godfried Hoogeveen, Mikhail Petukhov and Igor Gruppman. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has appeared at international festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Festival de Bourglinster, Grachtenfestival, Tiberius Festival, Pianoscope, Pianos Folies, Ankara Chamber Music Festival, Music of the Earth and Festival Classique.
Alongside her performing career, guiding and inspiring young musicians plays an important role in Safonova’s work. She regularly gives masterclasses and is invited to serve on juries of international competitions. In her piano teaching, she has developed an integrated approach in which technical freedom and the cultivation of sound are closely connected with stylistic and historical awareness, musical analysis and individual artistic expression. In the field of chamber music, she has also developed an in-depth course in ensemble techniques, focusing on musical communication, interpretation, ensemble awareness and the development of a shared artistic vision.
Safonova has made numerous recordings for radio and television and has released chamber music recordings with Esra Pehlivanli and Irina Simon-Renes. Her solo album Vol vers l’étoile, released by Etcetera Records, received a perfect 10 rating from the Dutch music magazine Luister.
Her artistic interests also extend beyond the traditional concert format. Safonova regularly takes part in multidisciplinary projects that bring music into dialogue with literature, visual art and dance. These have included Geller-Goya, Marc Chagall and The Unfamiliar, the latter in collaboration with Festival Classique and Korzo. For her contribution to Mr. Finney, a project connected with an initiative by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, she received a personal expression of gratitude from the Dutch Royal House.
