Pianist Nikita Lukinov and RCS string ensemble embark on a musical journey across Scotland
Thirty-five events over seven months in venues stretching from the Scottish Borders and Cromarty to Aberdeen and the Isle of Skye. The stage is set for pianist Nikita Lukinov’s musical journey across Scotland.
Nikita kicked off his tour on August 20 at RCS and he’ll perform at venues across the nation until March next year. Along with solo recitals, dates include concerts where he’ll be joined by an RCS ensemble of artists.
Heralded for his “extraordinary breadth and freedom of imagination” (Gramophone), praised as an “exceptional talent” (The Scotsman), and named a “rising star” by BBC Music Magazine, Nikita has performed as a soloist across the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Poland, Croatia, Germany and Russia.
Notable appearances include renowned venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Usher Hall, Southbank Centre and Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow.
Nikita, who started the Artist Diploma degree in September 2023, and is also on the keyboard faculty at RCS, tells us what inspired the tour, what made him want to study here and how he made the move into teaching.
Tell us about your Scotland-wide tour
It brings world-class, classical music to diverse communities, with special outreach events in local care homes and schools.
The tour started at RCS, with my Artist Diploma recital, and will finish in March 2025.
With twenty recitals and fifteen outreach events, it covers the entire country from the Scottish Borders to Inverness and from Aberdeen to the Isle of Skye.
I’m performing both as a soloist and with a string ensemble formed from RCS students and graduates – Huixin Hu (violin), Paul Docherty (violin), Annabel Stevens (viola), Sarah Hanniffy (viola), Ursula Coe (cello) and Rebekah Woodier (cello).
There are two partner organisations involved in the tour – Live Music Now Scotland, which is organising outreach activities in the areas of my recitals and City Music Foundation, which is providing financial subsidies where required.
What are you looking forward to about the outreach work?
I joined Live Music Now Scotland in 2022 and believe in the importance of music-making outside major concert halls for those who would not have access to it otherwise.
I’ll be performing in care homes as well as a school for pupils with additional support needs.
Seeing people’s eyes sparkle after a performance, especially those who aren’t able to fully express themselves or communicate, makes me feel like I’m making at least a small difference in their lives.
You’ll be working with RCS musicians on the tour?
One of the projects for my Artist Diploma was to perform a Beethoven Concerto with a string ensemble, which was staged at the RCS Piano Festival.
We’ll be performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto 4 and Lekeu’s Piano Quartet, a big, thirty-minute piece. Lekeu is a fairly unknown Belgian composer who died untimely, aged 24, yet he is a true genius!
I love working with the ensemble and hope there will be many more collaborations.
Solo pieces will include Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition as well as Night on a Bald Mountain, Liszt, Sonata in B Minor S.178, Brahms, 6 Pieces op.118, Debussy, Images Book 1, Tchaikovsky, pieces from op.72, Tchaikovsky-Pletnev, “Sleeping Beauty” Concert Suite and Babajanian, 6 Pictures for Piano.
You joined RCS in 2017 to study with Professor Petras Geniušas and graduated from the Bachelor of Music degree with first-class honours. You were choosing between RCS and Juilliard for your Masters, what made you want to remain at RCS?
In 2021, I chose RCS for my Masters. I felt like I belonged, and I wanted to stay and continue developing here. I’m a genuine supporter and admirer of the RCS, and the piano department has a special place in my heart. The first word that comes to me to describe the environment here is respect, and the second would be ideal practice facilities.
Of course, receiving a scholarship offer from Juilliard was heartwarming, to say the least. However, I couldn’t be allocated to the professor I wanted to study with and there was a perspective of starting from scratch in New York without the right mentor.
My main teacher here since 2017 has been Petras Geniušas, who never failed to inspire, support and believe in me, even during the pandemic when things were online. We both proved that progress in piano at the highest level is possible if both teacher and student are committed and really are working together.
Preparation for my Master’s degree auditions was done in an online format, so, I can only express huge respect for the honesty and dedication that Petras and RCS as an institution have given me throughout the years.
You were appointed to the RCS keyboard faculty two years ago, making you one of the youngest senior teachers in the UK’s royal schools of music. What inspired your move into teaching?
Teaching is also one of my passions, it feels intuitive for me. I went to the head of the department, Aaron Shorr, now Director of Music at RCS, and introduced an idea about a class, where I would help piano department students overcome the technical difficulties of piano. I love teaching and the RCS environment, so I would like to become an RCS piano professor.
I believe that work for human beings helps with a sense of fulfilment in life. So, when I help students, and they tell me something feels easier, it feels good to know that I can offer my expertise and make a positive difference. I like to make the world a better place if I can.
