Vladimir Tiagunov talks about challenges of playing ‘Wanderer Fantasy’ by Schubert

Remember when your mother forced you to take piano lessons and you hated every moment, only wishing to be outside with your friends? While some quickly outgrow their lessons and never follow through as an adult, there are others who take the craft quite seriously, like solo pianist Vladimir Borisovich Tiagunov.
“Although my father was an engineer, he knew how to play piano and was the first one to teach me the very basic principles of it,” he said.

“He encouraged me to practice the piano and learn about music from a very young age.”
Born in Temirtau, this pianist is known the world over for his beautiful piano playing.

He began playing piano at the age of 6 and was accepted at the Children’s Music School No. 5 in Nizhny Tagil,” he recalled. From a young lad performing small recitals, Tiagunov has gone on to play solo in many concert halls of Europe including Germany, Spain, Poland, Ukraine, and the United States.

As an active soloist and chamber musician, Tiagunov has played at some of the leading venues such as Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art Concert Hall, various Steinway Halls, Tilles Center, University of F. Chopin Concert Hall - Poland, Bolshoi Concert Hall in Tchaikovsky University - Moscow, Russia, Concert Hall of Sverdlovsk Philharmonic - Yekaterinburg, Russia, Concert Hall of Chelyabinsk Conservatory – Chelyabinsk, Russia, and Concert Hall in Kiev - Ukraine.

Tiagunov is regularly invited as a jury member at International music competitions such as Manolov International Music Competition, Long Island Conservatory Soloist Competition and the International Piano Competition at Gould Academy.

Tiagunov moved to the United States in 2014, and in 2016, he pursued the artist diploma program in the class of professor Tamara Poddubnaya. Since his arrival to the United States, Tiagunov has represented Steinway and Sons on platforms at Smith Haven Mall and Roosevelt Field Mall in New York.

“I’ve also been teaching piano since 2016 and many of my students are laureates of international piano competitions,” he said. “It is so rewarding and exciting to see them perform and garner such accolades the world over. It makes me proud.”
On Mastering the Masters

Tiagunov has a vast number of recordings from concerts around the world including works as the Op.10 by Chopin, “Wanderer Fantasy” by Schubert, “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky, and “Appassionata” by Beethoven and others.

“It’s not always easy to live up to the masters like Schubert, Mussorgsky, and others, but I try my best to please the audiences when I play,” he said. “It’s an honor just to be able to play their music and make people happy enough to come back to see me time and again.”

Ever since his first piano recital at his music school, Tiagunov hasn’t stopped performing. He adds, “Music has always been fascinating to me because it is a language that doesn’t need words to convey our feelings. Music expresses our emotions in a way that words cannot describe.”