Rustam Khanmurzin
Founded in 1882, Royal College of Music is one of the oldest London conservatories. Two of its leading piano students, Rustam Khanmurzin and Tolga Atalay Ün present a fasinating recital programme of Tchaikovsky, Scriabin and Prokofiev.
Programme
Scriabin Fantasy, Op. 28
Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, Op. 22
Tchaikovsky Scherzo a la Russe, Op. 1 no. 1
(Rustam Khanmurzin)
Tchaikovsky The Seasons, Op. 37a
(Tolga Atalay Un)
Rustam Khanmurzin graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he studied with Alexander Mndoyants, and he is a laureate of a number of piano competitions worldwide: in Russia, Italy, China, South Korea and Greece.
Since September 2017 Rustam continues his studies with Ian Jones at the Royal College of Music with Future of Russia Scholarship supported by ISH Award. During the first year of his studies in London he was selected to perform at annual RCM President’s Visit concert, appeared in number of festivals in such venues as Starr Cinema (Tate Modern), Cadogan Hall, Amaryllis Fleming Hall, Britten Theatre, also performing in cities of France and Italy.
He made his concerto debut with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra at the Moscow Soloists Festival where he was awarded a title of Laureate for an outstanding performance of the 2nd Piano Concerto by Chopin. Moreover, in 2012 in South Korea the First Lady of Poland presented Rustam with the Silver medal of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Chopin Piano Competition. In 2013 the Melodiya Lable launched Anthology of Piano Music by Russian and Soviet Composers CD Series with Rustam's recordings of pieces by Tchaikovsky, and now year the project is followed by Rustam’s recordings of early Russian keyboard pieces in partnership with Ray Records Russia. It was Rustam Khanmurzin who was entrusted by PETROF Pianos to introduce a new Ant. Petrof 275 grand piano on Russian music stage. Twice Rustam won the Presidential Award for Talented Youth; in 2015 he was awarded with the PianoForum Magazine Award and Russian Music Union Prize ‘for a brilliant performance at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory’.
Turkish-American pianist Tolga Atalay Ün was born in 1995, in Ankara, Turkey. He is currently in his first year of postgraduate studies (MPerf) at the Royal College of Music, London, studying piano with Prof. Norma Fisher, where he is a ‘C. Bechstein Scholar supported by a Christopher Hogwood Scholarship’. He recently finished his undergraduate studies in Prof. Norma Fisher’s piano class at the RCM, where he was a ‘Kenneth and Violet Scott Scholar’ and he has been admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Music (Honours) with First Class. He also studied the harpsichord for two years with Prof. Terence Charlston and piano with Prof. Niel Immelman at the RCM. He was generously supported by Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation and Talent Unlimited.
In September 2016, Tolga Atalay ÜN was selected as a scholar to the ‘Young Musicians on World Stages’ (YMWS) project created and mentored by Güher & Süher Pekinel with financial support of TÜPRAŞ.
Playing as a soloist with the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting them from the keyboard in the opening concert of 33 rd International Ankara Music Festival in April 2016 won him a great recognition amongst the musical authorities. His recent prizes include the Beethoven Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians as a result of winning the First Prize and the Thomas Harris Beethoven Award at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe’s 2017 Senior Intercollegiate Piano Competition; the Shared First Prize, as well as the Prize for the Best Performance of A.A.Saygun and the Audience Prize at the 4 th Ahmed Adnan Saygun Piano Competition in Turkey, 2017; the First Prize at the Kendall Taylor Beethoven Competition at the RCM in 2017 and the Second Prize at the Broadwood Horniman Harpsichord Competition in November 2015. He played numerous concerts in many different countries, such as Turkey, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Romania; and in prestigious concert halls such as London Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, St.Martin-in-the-Fields, RCM Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, Salzburg Mozarteum, Bayerische Musikakademie Marktoberdorf, Boğaziçi University Albert Long Hall, Ankara MEB Şura Concert Hall, Bilkent Concert Hall and Antalya Cultural Centre. He participated in masterclasses given by renowned pianists and harpsichordists such as Ton Koopman, Janina Fialkowska, Rolf Plagge, Ian Jones, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Andrew Zolinsky, and Daniel Shapiro. He also had conducting lessons given by Turkish Conductors Orhun Orhon, İbrahim Yazıcı and Burak Tüzün. As a result of this, he conducted numerous concerts with orchestras including Hitit Philharmonic Orchestra (a volunteer orchestra that he formed with his friends), Hacettepe Youth Symphony Orchestra and Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In 2004, he was accepted as a member to the Polyphonic Children’s Choir of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, conducted by Ahter Destan. During 2004-2009, he participated in many concerts, tours and organisations as a choir member and accompanist. In 2007, he was offered a place to start his professional piano studies with Sibel Özgün at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, where he was graduated with the “Top of the School Award” in 2014. During his seven-year conservatory education; he gave many concerts, premiered many pieces and made many radio recordings as a pianist, conductor, chamber musician and accompanist. He took lessons about Modern Music History and Contemporary Music Techniques given by a famous Turkish composer İlhan Baran in 2009-2013. In May 2009, he was awarded the “honourable mention” in the Fourth International Istanbul Pera Piano Competition and in 2010, the “Jury’s Special Award” in “The National Chopin Piano Competition”, which was organized jointly by Başkent University and Bahçelievler Rotary Club in Ankara, Turkey under the auspices of the Polish Embassy, to commemorate Chopin’s 200th birthday. After winning this prize, he got an invitation to become one of the founder members of Bahçelievler Interact Club. As an Interact, he has had the opportunity of participating in various social activities.