Andrey Gugnin

“Each Bechstein piano possesses a distinct and deep personality, offering a universe of possibilities that extends far beyond traditional musical boundaries."

Andrey Gugnin

Andrey Gugnin was born in Moscow and became famous for his virtuoso and passionate interpretation style. His talent on stage and in recording studios became ever more evident after he won both the Gold Medal and the Audience Prize at the 2014 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, and after his success at the 2016 Sydney Piano Competition. Since then he has given solo recitals and performed with great ensembles (London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra) in some of the world’s greatest venues (Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Auditorium du Louvre, Musikverein Wien, Mariinsky Concert Hall, Victoria Hall in Geneva). Andrey’s discography includes recordings of his live performances and of various symphonic works. Particularly noteworthy are his CD with Shostakovich’s Sonatas (Hyperion 2019, named “Recording of the month” by BBC Music Magazine), his recording of Liszt’s Études transcendantales (Piano Classics 2018, named “Editor’s Choice” by Grammophone magazine, which also proclaimed Andrey “One to Watch”), and his second Hyperion CD entitled Hommage an Godowsky, recorded on a C. Bechstein concert grand piano and highly acclaimed by international critics.

In February 2022, Andrey Gugnin left his hometown of Moscow, moved to Zagreb and spoke out publicly against Russia's criminal war of aggression against Ukraine. In November 2023, Andery Gugnin won the 12th International German Pianist Prize, endowed with 20,000 euros for a CD production.

photo © Anna Shlykova

Homage to Godowsky

Hyperion

The second album of Russian pianist Andrey Gugnin for the British classic label Hyperion Records honours the Polish-American pianist and composer Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) on occasion of his 150th birthday in 2020. Godowsky is referred to for being one of the most viruoso pianists of his time and is mentioned in the same breath with masters such as Ferruccio Busoni. On Homage to Godowsky a fine selection of works for solo piano was made that have all been dedicated to Godowsky, including works by Blumenfeld, Moszkowski, Busoni and others. Indeed the most famous dedication Polka de W R by Rachmaninov has been left out carefully considered as explained by Jeremy Nicholas (author of Godowsky: The Pianist’s Pianist) in the liner notes: „It may appear perverse that the most famous piano solo dedicated to Godowsky has been omitted (…) It was felt that, as this piece has been recorded so frequently by so many pianists, it would be beneficial to leave it out in order to allow as many of the other dedications a place on this recording; the majority of them have never been recorded before, and the remaining titles only rarely.“

Corresponding with Leopold Godowsky’s deep admiration of the superb quality of instruments by C. Bechstein, Andrey Gugnin recorded Homage to Godowsky on a C. Bechstein D 282.

"The unique sense of trust and companionship I feel when playing a Bechstein allows me to explore and appreciate the extraordinary nuances of its sound. This transcends expectations, sparking my imagination to venture into new creative realms. The relationship I’ve established with the Bechstein brand is not just about playing an instrument; it’s about embarking on a journey of musical discovery where every resonance is a promise of uncharted artistic territories."