Roman Rabinovich | Piano
Roman Rabinovich is an Israeli-American pianist praised by The New York Times for his “uncommon sensitivity and feeling.” Winner of the 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008, he has since performed across Europe and North America in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, the Cité de la Musique in Paris and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Rabinovich has appeared as soloist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Prague Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic and all major Israeli orchestras. He has collaborated with conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, Ludovic Morlot, Kristjan Järvi and Gerard Schwarz, earning acclaim for his interpretations of concertos from Bach to Lutosławski.
Highlights of his 2024/25 season include a three-recital series at Wigmore Hall, returns to the Lammermuir Festival in Scotland and the Liszt Academy Chamber Music Festival in Budapest, and his concerto debut with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He also returns to Israel for a recital tour and performances with the Haifa Symphony. A particular focus this season is J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, with performances scheduled in London and Vienna.
Described by Seen & Heard International as “a true polymath,” Rabinovich is also a composer and visual artist. His repertoire spans six centuries, from Byrd to Boulez. He is especially noted for his interpretations of Haydn, having performed complete sonata cycles at the Lammermuir and Bath festivals in the U.K., and at ChamberFest Cleveland in the U.S. He curated a three-concert Haydn Day at Wigmore Hall in 2022 and has released two acclaimed albums of Haydn sonatas on First Hand Records. BBC Music Magazine praised his “elegance and liveliness” and “unfailing musicality.”
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Rabinovich immigrated to Israel at age nine and made his debut with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta at age 10. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with Seymour Lipkin and earned his master’s degree at the Juilliard School under Robert McDonald. He was among the first pianists championed by Sir András Schiff in his “Building Bridges” series. Rabinovich is co-director of ChamberFest Cleveland and ChamberFest West in Calgary, alongside his wife, violinist Diana Cohen.
