Recital: Varvara Maggs – piano

The Programme

Varvara Maggs – piano

Scherzo, Op 20 No 1 in B minor

Scherzo, Op 31 No 2 in B flat minor

Scherzo, Op 39 No 3 in C sharp minor

Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op 66 in C sharp minor

The Artist

Varvara Maggs was a legendary child pianist in St Petersburg, Russia. At the age of eight she performed Kabalevsky’s Piano Concerto No 3 in the St Petersburg Concerto Competition for Young Pianists, taking first prize and proceeding to play the winning concerto with the St Petersburg State Conservatoire Orchestra in the Alexander Glazunov Concert Hall, conducted by Mariss Jansons. Another concerto appearance was at the age of ten when she performed Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto with the Rimsky-Korsakov Symphony Orchestra conducted by Algirdas Paulavichus. Subsequently they toured Finland, receiving excellent press reviews.

She took part in competitions at least twice a year, receiving numerous diplomas and first prizes between the ages of eight and fourteen. At twelve she won a piano duet competition arranged and judged by the famous piano duo Bruk and Taimanov. Later she became Bruk’s student. During this period her performances were broadcast on Russian radio and television. She became widely acknowledged as St Petersburg’s leading young pianist and was sent to Moscow to represent St Petersburg at the All Soviet Contest ‘Young Assemblies of Art’.

At fourteen Varvara was admitted to Mussorgsky College, having obtained the highest entrance marks in the history of the college. She began her studies there under Ekaterina Sharkova, a Professor of Merit of Russia. In her last year she came out as a Winner of the First International Pianoforte Competition named after the pianist Maria Yudina.

In 1998 Varvara was admitted to St Petersburg State Conservatoire and was granted her second scholarship. At the Conservatoire she studied under Professors Valery Vishnevsky, Eduard Bazanov and Sergey Urivayev.

After graduating she moved to Coventry. Since then most of her time has been spent as a piano recitalist in Great Britain and St Petersburg. Varvara’s favourite venues in St Petersburg are the Glinka Philharmonic Hall and the Imperial Hermitage Theatre. In London it is St Bride’s Church. In 2021 she was named as a symbol of Culture of Coventry by the Mayor of Coventry.