PIANOFORTE SUPERVIRTUOSO

DAVID KHRIKULI of “Warsaw Chopin Competition” fame

December 14, 2025 8:30 pm
Teatro Niccolini

Presented By FIRENZE ON STAGE

Harkening back after a fashion to the days when the legend Martha Argerich left the Jury of the Chopin Competition in protest in 1980 when Ivo Pogorelich was eliminated in the 3rd round, 24-year-old piano super virtuoso DAVID KHRIKULI caused a world-wide social media response and outrage to not being awarded a prize in the competition. Considered by many to be a true star performer with the most deeply moving and artistically compelling performances, his impact has extended far beyond any formal awards.
 
(Composer Fryderyk Chopin)

Fantasie op.49 in F minor
24 Preludes, op.28
Scherzo op.20 in B minor
Scherzo op.31 in B-flat minor
Scherzo op.39 in C-sharp minor
Scherzo op.54 in E major
 
BIO

Born in Georgia in 2001, pianist David Khrikuli is rapidly emerging as one of the most compelling voices of his generation. His performances have drawn exceptional attention for their expressive depth, luminous structural clarity, and rare command of dynamics.

A laureate of numerous international contests, Khrikuli won First Prize at the 2024 Cantù International Piano and Orchestra Competition (Italy) and First and Audience Prizes at the Vigo International Piano Competition (Spain). He was also a finalist at the 2025 Chopin International Piano Competition, where his performances captivated both jury and audience, earning acclaim that extended beyond the competition results. Earlier distinctions include First Prize and Special Prize at the Aarhus International Competition (Denmark), First Prize at the Tbilisi Chopin National Piano Competition (Georgia), and awards at the Nutcracker International TV Competition (Russia), Astana Piano Passion (Kazakhstan), and the Arthur Rubinstein International Competition for Young Pianists (China).

He began his piano studies at the Zakaria Paliashvili Central Music School for Gifted Children in Tbilisi under Revaz Tavadze and later trained with Galina Eguiazarova and Stanislav Ioudenitch at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid. He was awarded scholarships from the Jaime Castellanos and Albéniz Foundations, held the Banco Santander Foundation Piano Chair, and in 2022 received the Diploma for the Most Outstanding Student of his chair from Her Majesty Queen Sofía.

Khrikuli has appeared as a soloist with the Georgian Philharmonic, the Israel Camerata and Philharmonic, and the Moscow Philharmonic, and has given solo and chamber performances throughout Europe. At the Reina Sofía School, he was featured in concert series such as La Generación Ascendente (Madrid) and AIEnRUTa-Clásicos (Albacete), and performed with the Schumann Trio, Ravel Duo, and Austrias Trio.

Currently, Khrikuli is touring Poland with performances in Toruń, Kraków, and Poznań, and has upcoming appearances with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, National Forum of Music in Wrocław, and Kraków Philharmonic. He will also return to Mallorca and to the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid and make his debut in Berlin.

December 14, 2025 - 20:30