Vestards Šimkus
Photo: Evija Trifanova, LETA
Vestards Šimkus
Photo: Edijs Pālens, LETA
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Vestards Šimkus
Pianist Vestards Šimkus started piano lessons at the age of five. He initially studied at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School in Riga, where his teachers were Ruta Švinka, Ligita Muižarāja, Teofils Biķis and Sergejs Osokins. After high school, Šimkus studied piano play at the University of Southern California with Daniel Pollack and at the Queen Sofía College of Music in Madrid (2002-2006) with professor Dmitry Bashkirov. Šimkus gained additional mastery and skills in masterclasses lead by Lazar Berman, Alexander Satz, Igor Zhukov and Joan Havil and, in summer 2003, after receiving an invitation from Dmitry Bashkirov - also in his masterclasses in Savonlinna, Finland. Šimkus studied composition with Pēteris Vasks and pursued studies at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium in Munich with Vadim Suhanov.
Vestards Šimkus was awarded a scholarship from the international organization "New Names of the Planet" and has won a number of international piano competitions. Šimkus is a prize-winner of 12 competitions, among which: the B.Dvarionas International Competition for Young Pianists in Vilnius (1994); the Latvian Young Composers Competition in Riga (1995); the Jūrmala International Young Pianist Competition (1995); F.Chopin International Young Pianists Competition in Poland (1996, 1st prize and Grand Prix); W.A. Mozart International Young Pianists Competition in Riga (1997, 1st prize); Competition of Young Performers Nova Nomina in Rīga (1998, 1st prize); International Performers Competition in Stockholm (2001, 1st prize and Grand Prix); F. Liszt International Pianists Competition in Los Angeles (2002, 1st prize), and the 5th World Piano Olympics in Bad Kissingen in Germany (2007).
In March 2009 Vestards Šimkus won the 1st prize and the audience sympathy award at the 55th International Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona, which was founded in 1954 and is one of the longest-running music competitions world-wide.
In 2002, Šimkus gained Latvia's highest honors for musical achievements - the Grand Music Award. He has performed in a number of international music festivals, including the Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival in Salt Lake City, U.S. (1999), the Stavanger International Chamber Music Festival, Norway (2004, 2009), KREMERata Baltica Festival in Sigulda, Latvia (2004, 2005), the Vienna International Music Seminar, Austria (2004), and the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut, Lebanon (2005, 2007).
His performances have been eagerly received in Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the United States, Lebanon and at his home land Latvia.
Vestards Šimkus has played at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus, Stockholm Bervaldhallen, Milan Sala Puccini and other famous concert halls. The pianist has been invited to perform with the Kremerata Baltica, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras. Šimkus' collaborations with such internationally acclaimed conductors as Terje Mikkelsen, Andris Nelsons, Normunds Šnē have brought him praise from audiences and critics alike.
In 2003 Vestards Šimkus recorded a solo album "Fantasies". |
