Ilya Shmukler interview by Earl Cahill

Ilya Shmukler interviewed by Earl Cahill for Earl's Music Room by the Missouri River, Parkville, Missouri.
Directed, filmed and edited by Earl Cahill ([e-mail])
You can read more about the filming and general experience of Earl's Music Room at blog.earlsmusic...
More about Ilya
“His manner of performing music is very natural, spiritual, and consistent with the composer’s artistic concept. Elegant asymmetrical rhythms, executed accurately and within musical context, lend his artistic language rich emotional color, wholeness and authenticity.” These are the words used by the famous Bulgarian journal “Art Panorama” to describe Ilya Shmukler’s 2015 performance.
Born in Moscow in 1994, Ilya began his musical education at the age of 5 and immediately revealed himself as an exceptional, creative, and enthusiastic young artist. He performed his first solo recital at 12, and made his orchestral debut at 14. Since then he has appeared with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Bayer Symphoniker Orchestra, Tambov Symphonic Orchestra, New Music Orchestra, and others.
Ilya finished a Master’s degree in piano performance from the prestigious Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory with honors in 2021, under the guidance of Professor Elena Kuznetsova and Associate Professor Sergey Kuznetsov. Presently, Ilya studies with Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch at the International Center for Music at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Speaking about his student, Professor Ioudenitch pointed out that “this young man is a great talent of a very high degree of expertise and professionalism. Moreover, he is extremely serious in his attitude toward his work and his career; his capacity for concentration and productive work is of the highest caliber.”
These words are confirmed by Ilya’s top prizes from various international piano competitions, such as: 1st Prize at the 2021 New York Virtuoso International Competition (New York City, New York); 2nd Prize at the 2021 Lewisville Lake Symphony International Competition for Piano (Lewisville, Texas); 1st Prize and Audience Award at the 3rd (2019) Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition (Tokyo, Japan); Grand Prix at the 2012 International Competition “Sсriabin - Rachmaninov” (Sofia, Bulgaria); and 2nd Prize at the 2012 V International Rachmaninov Music Competition (St. Petersburg, Russia).
In addition, Ilya was awarded the 2021 Carnegie Weill Recital Hall Debut Audition prize, organized by Creative Classical Concert Management. His New York debut is scheduled for December, 2022; Ilya eager awaits the opportunity to entertain his audience with works by various composers from diverse genres.