Nikita Lukinov returned to Shrewsbury to play in the Alington Hall in Shrewsbury School on Sunday 25th September 2022, in the first collaboration with Shropshire Music Trust. Nikita began his recital on the Steinway grand piano by playing the demanding Symphonic Etudes Op.13 composed by Robert Schumann. Nikita has a superb technique and a ravishing sound but pays close attention to the composer's instructions. This work is difficult because of tricky syncopations and cross rhythms but Nikita managed to keep the main themes singing clearly through the heavy chordal accompaniment.
Our local music critic Andrew Petch to described his recital...
Nikita presented a programme of works all of an amazingly high octane! All were hugely demanding, both technically and emotionally; Mr. Lukinov met these challenges magnificently. Nikita is a formidable talent; he was recognised as a young musician in his native Russia and gave his first performance with a symphony orchestra at the age of eleven! He has since studied in London and, since 2017 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes Op13 opened the recital; these are beautiful pieces ranging in character from the melancholy to the dynamic, passionate outbursts which Schumann saw as opposite aspects of his own personality. The contrast is especially apparent in the move from Etude 11 marked “Con espressione” to Etude 12; the longest piece, marked Allegro brilliante. These pieces showed Mr. Lukinov’s amazingly controlled dynamics as well as a beautiful silvery touch; there was a passion in his playing which showed us just how much he loved his chosen works.
Finally, Nikita played Liszt’s mighty Sonata in B minor. This must surely be one of the most challenging works in any pianist’s repertoire; this astonishing young musician gave us a fully mature rendition showing us all the qualities which had graced his performance of the Schumann Etudes. It is no exaggeration to say that the audience was spellbound by the playing. Their approval was equally enthusiastic by the two miniatures, one by Scriabin, the other by Tchaikovsky, which were welcome encores.
This was a recital which will live long in the memory; Nikita Lukinov is surely destined for a distinguished career."
Andrew Petch