The Russian pianist is touring Australia in celebration of the Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia’s 40th birthday.

1. Three underrated composers?

Most of them are Russian composers:

Nikolai Medtner

Nikolai Roslavets

Samuil Feinberg

Pianist Andrey Gugnin. Photo © Daniel Boud.

2. Your most memorable musical experience as an audience member?

Last December, my friend Vadym Kholodenko performed in the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was really fascinating how he keeps growing and developing in the maturity and precision in his performances.

3. Three piano heroes?

Emil Gilels

Glenn Gould

Sergei Rachmaninoff

4. Your proudest moment onstage?

It was a recent recital in April in the city of Zagreb in Croatia where I had the privilege of playing an old Pleyel piano that is now rare to find.

5. Which historical composer would you commission a concerto from?

Modest Mussorgsky. I utterly love his music, though he never composed anything for the piano and orchestra, sadly.

6. If you weren’t a pianist, what would you be?

Probably a mathematician, I enjoy math and was surrounded by it in my childhood. Both my brother and father are mathematicians.

7. Three pieces of music you could happily never hear again?

Five to seven years...