Alexandre Kantorow

{{short description|French pianist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Alexandre Kantorow

| image = File:Alexandre Kantorow Basel Fotoman.jpg

| caption = Alexandre Kantorow at a concert in Basel, Switzerland

| birth_name =

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|05|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Clermont-Ferrand, France

| genre = Classical

| occupation = Pianist

| instrument = Piano

| label = BIS Records

| years_active =

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|alexandre-kantorow.com}}

| module =

}}

Alexandre Kantorow (born 20 May 1997) is a French pianist.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2019/06/29/le-pianiste-alexandre-kantorow-tsar-du-concours-tchaikovski_5483165_3246.html|title=Le pianiste Alexandre Kantorow, tsar du Concours Tchaïkovski|date=2019-06-29|access-date=2019-06-29|language=fr|work=Le Monde}} Described by Gramophone as a "fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm"{{Cite web|url=https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/international_piano/alexandre-kantorow-wins-tchaikovsky-competition-piano-category/|title=Alexandre Kantorow wins Tchaikovsky Competition piano category|website=Rhinegold|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}} and by Fanfare as "Liszt reincarnated",{{Cite web|url=https://agencedianedusaillant.com/en/artistes/alexandre-kantorow-2/|title=Alexandre Kantorow|website=Agence Diane du Saillant|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-06-30}}[https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2020/10/22/le-pianiste-alexandre-kantorow-embrase-la-musique_6056893_3246.html Le jeune prodige du piano Alexandre Kantorow embrase la musique] on Le Monde he won the first prize, gold medal and Grand Prix at the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.francemusique.fr/actualite-musicale/alexandre-kantorow-remporte-le-1er-prix-de-piano-du-concours-tchaikovski-74508|title=Alexandre Kantorow remporte le 1er prix de piano du Concours Tchaïkovski|last=Laspière|first=Victor Tribot|date=2019-06-27|website=France Musique|language=fr|access-date=2019-06-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://weekend.lesechos.fr/culture/musiques/0601491458672-alexandre-kantorow-triomphe-a-moscou-2277139.php#xtor=AD-6000|title=Alexandre Kantorow triomphe à Moscou|website=lesechos.fr|date=28 June 2019 |language=fr|access-date=2019-06-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://tch16.com/en/news/315.htm|title=The Names of the Prizewinners at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in the Piano Category have been Announced|website=tch16.com|access-date=2019-06-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/musique/classique/le-francais-alexandre-kantorow-remporte-le-prestigieux-grand-prix-de-piano-du-concours-tchaikovski_3513681.html|title=Alexandre Kantorow, premier français à remporter le prestigieux Grand prix de piano du Concours Tchaïkovski|date=2019-06-29|website=Franceinfo|language=fr|access-date=2019-06-30}} With this win, Kantorow became the first French winner in the history of the competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pizzicato.lu/alexandre-kantorow-wins-tchaikovsky-piano-competition/|title=Alexandre Kantorow wins Tchaikovsky Piano Competition|date=2019-06-28|website=Pizzicato|language=fr-FR|access-date=2019-06-28}}

Kantorow was born in Clermont-Ferrand to a family of musicians; his father is the violinist and conductor Jean-Jacques Kantorow and his mother is also a violinist. He began to study piano at the age of five at the conservatory of Pontoise. At the age of 11, Kantorow began studies with Pierre-Alain Volondat, who was the winner of the 1983 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, and continued training with Igor Lazko at the Schola Cantorum de Paris, as well as with Frank Braley and Haruko Ueda. When he was 16 years old, Kantorow was invited to play at the La Folle Journée festival in Nantes{{Cite web|url=https://tch16.com/en/contestants/#piano|title=Contestants|website=tch16.com|access-date=2019-06-29}} and has since appeared at such festivals as the Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron, the Festival Chopin à Paris, and the Festival Piano aux Jacobins. At the age of 17, he performed at the Philharmonie de Paris with the Pasdeloup Orchestra at its inaugural season to an audience of about 2,500.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/l-exploit-d-alexandre-kantorow-premier-francais-a-remporter-le-concours-tchaikovski-20190628|title=L'exploit d'Alexandre Kantorow, premier Français à remporter le concours Tchaïkovski|date=2019-06-28|work=Le Figaro|access-date=2019-06-29}} He has since appeared at major concert halls including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the BOZAR in Brussels, and the auditorium in the Louis Vuitton Foundation. Kantorow currently studies with Rena Shereshevskaya, who was also the teacher of Lucas Debargue, at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.

In 2019, Kantorow won the first prize, gold medal, and Grand Prix at the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition, becoming the first French winner in the history of the competition. He was the only finalist in the competition to play the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, and also performed Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/the-2019-international-tchaikovsky-competition-reveals-its-piano-finalists|title=The 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition reveals its piano finalists|work=Gramophone|date=2019-06-22|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}

In 2023 Kantorow won the prestigious $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award.{{cite news |last1=Hernández |first1=Javier |title=French Pianist Wins Surprise, Prestigious $300,000 Award |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/arts/music/alexandre-kantorow-gilmore-artist-award.html |access-date=17 September 2023 |publisher=New York Times |date=17 September 2023}}

On 26 July 2024 he performed the music of Maurice Ravel during the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.