Schools
2018-Present: Buchmann-Mehta School of Music
2014-2018: Central Music School of Ukraine under Kyiv Conservatory
Teachers
2018-Present: Arie Vardi
2014-2018: Nataliia Gridneva
Competitions
2019: Semifinalist - Paderewski International Piano Competition, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2019: 2nd Prize - Aspen Concerto Piano Competition, Aspen, USA
2019: 1st Prize - Horowitz International Piano Competition, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019: 1st Prize - Arianne Katz International Piano Competition, Tel Aviv, Israel
2018: Mazda Pontoise and Auvers-sur-Oise Special Prizes - Pontoise Piano Campus International Piano Competition
2018: 1st Prize - Kyiv International Piano Competition, Kyiv, Ukraine
2017: 4th Prize - Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition in memoriam, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2017: 1st Prize - Junior Academy Eppan, Appiano, Italy
Biography
Born in Chernigov to a family of teachers , Illia began playing the piano at the age of 8 in class of Elena Sachenko and by the time he was twelve he was invited to study to the most famous music school in Ukraine – Kiev special music secondary music school called after M.Lysenko in Kyiv to the class of Honored artist of culture of Ukraine – Nataliia Gridneva and Andrii Lunov. At the age of 9 he won the first competition and already at 10 gave the solo recital in the Philharmonic centre of Ukraine. Illia graduated from Mykola Lysenko Secondery Special music school in 2018. Illia is now pursuing Bachelors degree at the Buchmann-Mehta school of music in Tel Aviv under tutalege of Arie Vardi. In 2019 , Illia was given a full session scholarship (Polonski Fellowship) at the Aspen Music Festival (USA), where he studied under the guidance of Prof. Yoheved (Veda) Kaplinsky. At the Aspen Music Festival he replaced Daniil Trifonov at one of his private concert with a huge success and public delightedness. Among all, Illia performed at the Harris Hall as well as played numerous recitals at the cities of Basalt and Carbondale. He played with the leading orchestras of worldwide collaborating with prestigious conductors such as Arie Vardi, Dmitry Sitkovetsky (USA), Ian Hobson (USA), Mykola Diadyura (Ukraine), Kai Bumann (Poland), Mykola Sukach (Ukraine), Benoit Girault (France), Volodymyr Sirenko (Ukraine), Volodymyr Shejko (Ukraine), Nicolo Giuliani (Italy), Vitaly Protasov (Ukraine). In March 2020, Illia jumped in with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arie Vardi. At only 48 hours notice he performed Mozart’s 23-rd Piano Concerto to sensational public and critical acclaim. Illia is a consistent participant of different music festivals worldwide in different countries such as France, Ukraine, Israel, United States, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Italy. The following events were inviting him to play at the “Arthur Rubinstein Piano Festival” in Tel Aviv , mentored by Idith Zvi, “Piano Campus Festival” , organized by Pascal Escande (France) , “d’Auvers Sur Oise Music Festival” as a soloist with a chamber ensemble of Versailles Conservatoire and “Bern Interlaken Classics” in Switzerland , mentored by Marian Rybicki and Vovka Ashkenazy. In December 2019 , Illia played his debut recital at the Salle Cortot in Paris sponsored by “Animato” Music Foundation. The year after he made his return at the Piano Campus Festival to perform with the orchestra of CRR Conservatoire in “Theatre De Jouy” which was perceived with a great success by the public. Illia is a recipient and a holder of the scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein where he participates in the Intensive Music Weeks and activities offered by the Academy. (With Prof. Milana Cherniavskaiia and Pavel Gillilov) Among all, he finished the course of masterclasses with an excellence diploma at the Goslar Summer Music Festival , class of prof. Arie Vardi (Israel)Singapore International Piano Competition He took masterclasses with such renown pianists and teachers as: Daniil Trifonov (Russia), Yoheved Kaplinsky(USAIsrael), Milana Cherniavskaiia (Ukraine-Germany) , Andrea Bonnata (Italy) , Rena Shereshevskaia (Russia), Murray Perahia (Great Britain), Fabio Bidini (Italy-USA), Pavel Nersessian (Russia-USA) , Boris Bloch (Germany-Russia) , Arie Vardi (Israel), Aviram Reichert (South Korea-Israel). Illia gets scholarship of Presidential Fund of Leonid Kuchma “Ukraine”. And also he is a member of Ukrainian Fund – “VERE MUSIC FUND”. He has many recordings on Ukrainian radio and TV and featured his first CD with the National Radio of Ukraine in December 2019. Since 2010 he became the winner of more than 20 piano competitions in Ukraine, the United States, Russia, Italy, France, Poland, Israel, Czech Republic, etc