Sergei Istomin

Biography

Sergei Istomin (Russian: Сергей Хохлов, or Истомин, Сергей Николаевич) is a cellist and a viola da gamba player. He began his violoncello studies at the age of six at the Gnesin’s School for gifted children in Moscow, Russia, where he obtained his bachelor's degree (violoncello class of Mrs. V.M. Birina). He completed his master's degree at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the class of Valentin Feigin. He completed his post-graduate studies with Catharina Meints Caldwell Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, USA and August Wenzinger at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute BPI). Sergei Istomin has performed solo and chamber music recitals in many European and North American Festivals. His repertoire includes baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music on both period and modern instruments. Currently, he holds a research associate position (doctoral thesis title: “K. F. W. Fitzenhagen and P. Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a rococo theme – a creative collaboration”) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Conservatory of Ghent (HoGent / Ghent University, Belgium) where he also teaches viola da gamba and violoncello (the 19th century performance practice). In 2014 he was in the jury of the prestigious International Musica Antiqua Competition in Brugge, Belgium. Sergei Istomin has recorded for Analekta (Virtuoso Solos for Viola da Gamba, Bach Cello Suites), CBC, Centaur Records, Music and Arts Programs of America, Passacaille Records, Sony Classical and Zig-Zag Territoires. Sergei Istomin lives in Belgium from where he continues his international career.

Recordings

• Schubert: the Piano Trios, Centaur Records
• Fryderyc Chopin Complete works for cello and piano Sergei Istomin & Viviana Sofronitsky, Passacaille
• Joseph Haydn "Cello concertos" With Apollo Ensemble | David Rabinovich Passacaille Musica Vera
• Felix Mendelssohn "Complete works for cello and fortepiano" With Viviana Sofronitsky (fortepiano) Passacaille Musica Vera 947
• Virtuoso Solos for Viola da Gamba (Abel, Schenk, Telemann) Analekta, fleurs de lys FL 2 3144
• J. S. Bach, Six Suites a Violoncello Solo senza Basso Analekta, fleurs de lys FL 2 3114 - 5
• Franz Liszt, Pièces Tardives Zig-Zag Territoires / Harmonia Mundi ZZT 040902
• J.S. Bach Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach extraits / a selection, Analekta, AN 2 8251
• C.P.E. Bach: Trio Sonatas Music at the Court of Frederick the Great Musique à la cour de Frédéric le Grand CBC Records, MVCD 1117
• Clérambault, Les Coucous Bénévoles, CBC Records, Musica Viva MVCD 1152
• Gardens of Versailles, Les Coucous Benevoles, Artifact Music
• An Hour with C.P.E. Bach, Music and Arts Programs of America CD - 1037