Rostislav Krimer

Rostislav Krimer is a classical pianist and conductor. He is also the artistic director of the Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival, and the chief conductor and artistic director of the East-West Chamber Orchestra.

After studying at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, he earned his Postgraduate Diploma and was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Krimer's first London performance was a recital in Cadogan Hall in 2006. The Musical Opinion Magazine wrote of the performance: "Rostislav Krimer knocked out his audience at the Cadogan Hall...He is a pianist of note: watch out for him".

He has performed with musicians and groups including Yuri Bashmet and Moscow Soloists, and at venues including the Grand Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. He has played at festivals including the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France, the Beethovenfest in Bonn, the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, and the Ljubljana Summer Festival.

Krimer is the founder and artistic director of the annual Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival, which has been held in Minsk, Belarus, since 2006.

He performed at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games ‘Stars of the 21st Century’ concert along with Kronberg Academy Festival artists.

In 2015, Krimer became the Chief-Conductor and Artistic Director of the East-West Chamber Orchestra, which is made up of European professional soloists.

He plays concertos and recitals in duo regularly with the pianist Paul Badura-Skoda and the violinist Sergey Krylov.

• Certificate of Honour of the Government of the Republic of Belarus for successful artistic and cultural activities, a significant contribution to the development of culture and the arts, the international cooperation in the field of culture (2013)
• Myra Hess Trust Award, London (2006)
• Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music (Dip.RAM) (London, 2006)
• Laureate of the UNISA International Music Competition and owner of the Sarah Jackson prize for the best interpretation of F.Chopin (South Africa, 2004)
• Prize 'Discovery of the Year' at the Evgeny Malinin International Music Festival (Germany, 2002)
• Morrison Bishop Prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition (Glasgow, 2001)
• 1 prize at the N.Rubinstein International Piano Competition (Paris, 1999)
• Personal Scholarship of the President of the Republic of Belarus for talented youth (Minsk, 1998)
• 3 prizes at the F.Chopin International Youth Piano Competition (Szafarnia, Poland, 1996)
• Special Award at the International Piano Competition named after I.Zvetaeva for the best interpretation of contemporary works (Belarus, 1994)

Krimer has performed for numerous charity events, of which most support orphaned or sick children.

In 2010, Krimer performed in a recital tour for orphaned children throughout Belarus.

In 2013, he performed at a charity recital with Maxim Vengerov in Minsk.

In 2015, Krimer organized a charity event called '15 000 Chances for Life', and performed at the event along with the East-West Chamber Orchestra, the actor Konstantin Khabensky, and the soloists of the Bashmet Music Festival in Minsk. Over 60 thousand US dollars were raised to buy medicine for the Republican Scientific Practical Center for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology in Minsk.