Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev, the grandson of the great Russian pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva, was born in Moscow in 1993. He began playing the piano at the age of four and made his debut at the age of nine with the Bryansk Chamber Orchestra. After some brilliant performances in several international competitions, the doors of his career opened with a contract on the Decca label following his splendid performance of Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto at the Sydney Competition in 2016 (the year in which his first album dedicated to Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit - and Debussy - Préludes, Livre I and L'Isle joyeuse - was released). Cyrus Meher-Homji, the general manager of the classical and jazz division of Decca's Australian branch, saw Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev as the "ultimate piano aristocrat". It must be said that his exceptional talent, combined with his natural charisma and a good physique as a young early romantic are very advantageous to him.
As a result of this contract, this first recording, entitled "Reflections", is dedicated to Russian music with Rachmaninov's Six Moments musicaux, Prokofiev's famous Visions fugitives, works by Scriabin, Medtner and Tchaikovsky and two Études from Tatiana’s "babouchka" which reveal the composers talent here. Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev has numerous projects on the go. Between a tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals all over the world, this young pianist is one to watch. © François Hudry/Qobuz