Cellist
Denis Shapovalov
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While studying at the Special Music College of the Moscow State Conservatory in 1990, Shapovalov received a stipend from the International Charity Foundation "New Names." This award brought with it the opportunity for the young cellist to display his skills in numerous European countries, while performing with the Moscow Student Orchestra. In 1992, Shapovalov made his debut on the most prestigious Russian concert stage &endash; the Big Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory.
Two years later, while studying under professor Natalia Shakhovskaya at the Conservatory, Shapovalov participated in several national and international festivals. Following his appearance at the Festival of Cello Music in Moscow, he was chosen as the best young cellist among all Russian students, and he became a recipient of a Rostropovich Charity Foundation scholarship (1997).
Shapovalov's talent also attracted the attention of the world-famous musician, Vladimir Spivakov. From 1997 to 2000, Shapovalov performed as a soloist with the "Moscow Virtuosi" chamber orchestra.
Shapovalov's victory at the International Tchaikovsky Competition was accompanied by the invitation to perform throughout the 1999 "Russian Season" (organized by "Bayer") in Germany. In the same year, he gave performances at the International Festival "Musical Olympus" in St. Petersburg, at the Rostropovitch International Festival in Evian les Bains (where he took a master-class with the Maestro), and at the International Festivals in Montpellier and Guebwiller, France, Riva del Garda, Italy, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, and he also toured extensively in the former Soviet Union.
In August, 1999, the cellist made his Japanese debut at Suntory Hall, playing Dvorak Concerto with the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra.
Shapovalov has appeared in several televised concert broadcasts aired throughout Europe, including those of the Riva del Garda and Reims International Festivals. He has live recordings made by Russian Radio and Radio France. In January 2000 Shapovalov was applauded at the famous International MIDEM Festival in Cannes.
Growing performing activity brought Denis to Hong Kong and China, for the Beijing International Music Festival in 2000.
Mstislav Rostropovich was very impressed with Shapovalov's performance at "Rencontres Musicales d'Evian" in 1999, and so the cellist was invited to participate in the festival a second time the next year. For his return appearance he enjoyed great success playing Brahms Double Concerto with Vadim Repin and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Rostropovich.
Shapovalov has also performed with such young artists as Nikolai Sachenko, Alexandre Ghindin, and Jon Nakamatsu.
As a Tchaikovsky International Competition winner, Shapovalov was invited to play at the World Cello Congress in Baltimore in June, 2000. He gave a successful performance for his American debut.
In September, 2000, he performed with Yoel Levi and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Shapovalov's performance in Munich with Lorin Maazel and the Bayerishe Rundfunk Orchestra was broadcast throughout Europe in April, 2001.
In July, 2001, Shapovalov performed in the United States at the Florida International Festival in Daytona Beach "featuring London Symphony Orchestra" with Andrew Litton, and at South Shore Music Festival in Westport.
His 2001 autumn Japanese tour brought Shapovalov to the International Kitakyusyu Music Festival.
September 2001 was highlighted for Shapovalov with a victory at the Web Concert Hall International Competition held in New York.
In November, 2001, together with violinist Nikolai Znaider, famous conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Shapovalov performed Brahms Double Concerto in major halls of Munich, London, and Liechtenstein.
In April, 2002, Shapovalov made his debut at the famous Avery Fisher Hall in New York, participating in "Rostropovich's 75th Birthday Series," performing with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. A month earlier, Shapovalov had performed the same program, Shostakovich Concerto #1, at the Barbican Center in London.
In December, 2002, Shapovalov enjoyed success performing in Japan with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra led by Yutaka Sado. The recital with A.Vershinin was recorded by NHK.
Presently, Shapovalov performs with symphony and chamber orchestras in the USA, Europe, and Asia. He collaborates with the Association of Contemporary Music (Moscow), participating in performances and making CD at the Russian-French record company "Chant du Monde".
In 2000, Shapovalov finished the post-graduate course of the Moscow State Conservatory, and since 2001 he has been teaching in the Cello Department. He is often invited to give master-classes in Russia and abroad as a touring professor.
The growing repertoire of the young but mature cellist includes chamber works of the major Russian and foreign composers, concertos for cello and orchestra by Haydn, Dvorak, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Prokofiev, and Schostakovitch.
Born to a musical family in the town of Tchaikovsky in 1974, Shapovalov started his cello lessons at 7. He made his solo debut with an orchestra at age 11, performing Saint-Saens Concerto.
