Livyka Sokolov - a new star is born on the piano sky!

„A big soul paired with a sharp intellect and a natural charisma“

„ Her piano playing is great art and her presence on stage unbelievable.“

 „Fascination with authenticity and ingenuousness“

A new star on the firmament of the piano world is just facing her rising: Livyka Sokolov.

Despite of her youth at the age of 19 this young, splendid looking young lady from Moldavia is appearing as a mature, self-confident artistic character captivating her audience as well as her musical companions with her interpretations of the most difficult and complex works of the piano literature impressing with sovereign technical mastery, sound instinct for stylistical idioms and structural distinctions of the various musical eras and an astonishing sense for creating sound valeurs and expressive nuances.

Livyka Sokolov was born on 6 January 1998 in Kishinev, Moldavia. Her father is the well-known composer Liviu Shtirbu from Moldavia and her mother is a concert pianist. She currently is student of Lyceum of Music “Ciprian Porumbescu” in Chisinau in the piano master class of Professor Tatiana Sviridov.
Her debut on stage was in 2006 at Organ Hall (Chisinau), where she took the prize “Brilliant Debut”.

Since then this graceful and charming appearing young lady, who nevertheless can acting with such an energetic grasp on stage, is going to beat up the international concert scene: She played with WDR Orchestra, National Philarmonic Orchestra of Moldova, National Chamber Orchestra of Moldova, Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Pitesti Symphony Orchestra, Chisinau Youth Orchestra. She performed with the conductors Kristiina Poska, Mihail Agafita, Mihail Secichin, Cristian Florea, Valentin Doni, Charles Ansbacher, Crispin Ward, Dumitru Carciumaru, Octav Calleya and Igor Andriewskii.

She played as a chamber musician with the violinist Ilian Garnet, the cellist Konstantin Manaev, the pianist Gintaras Januševičius, the cello player and conductor Cristian Florea and many others.

She gave performances in various international festivals: "Menuhin Festival" (Gstaad, Switzerland, 2010, 2012), "George Enescu Festival" (Romania), Rising Stars in the Kremlin" (Moscow, Russia), "Moscow meets friends", (Russia, 2008, 2012), "Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern"(Germany), Berliner Klassiksommer" (Berlin), "Magical summer at the Romanian Athenaeum" (Bucharest, Romania), "Piano Nights from Moldova" ( 2014, 2015, 2016, Chisinau, Moldova), “Days of contemporary music from Moldova" ( 2013, 2014, 2015, Chisinau, Moldova), "Martisor" ( 2014, 2015, Chisinau, Moldova).

She is the winner of several international competitions, such as I prize at the International Competition “Pro-piano" (Romania), first prize at the International Competition of Chamber Ensembles “Gnessin” (Russia) and first prize at the International Competition "E.Coca" (Moldova), as well as Silver Medal at the Delphic Games of the CIS member states (Russia), and has been the first representative of Moldova and finalist at international contest "Eurovision Young Musicians" in 2014 in Cologne.

Comments of famous musical colleagues:

"She is really an extraordinary girl. I’ve listened many children, but Livyka made the greatest impression on me . She came on the stage like a real artist, as if it is the most natural thing to do. Her piano playing- it seemed like she was enjoying it herself- was a great art and her stage presence was unbelievable.”                                                                                          
                                                                                                                       Patricia Kopatchinsk                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                        Violinist

„I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity of admiring Livyka Sokolov perform live on several occasions, on some of the most prestigious stages of classical music in our country’s capital city. I have also personally accompanied her with my cello on stage in Chisinau, in Bucharest and in Sibiu, Romania, where she was met with standing ovations at the “George Enescu” International Music Festival, for her flawless interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Claude Debussy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and many other great composers. I can only praise with words of utmost appreciation her talent, her exquisite intellect, her impeccable taste in art and her serious commitment to music, which in total make her an impeccable musician. She is technically gifted beyond any expectations and she can perform with apparent supernatural ease even the most challenging scores. On stage, she brings more than just wonderful music, she also captures the audience with what the Germans would most likely call “Ausstrahlung”, a very special charisma, a radiance that emerges from her very soul. This is further proof that an artist can only be born like that, and cannot be manufactured.“

                                                                                                                               Cristian Florea

                                                                                                                     Conductor and cellist

 “While listening to Livyka’s piano performance, one can’t help getting fascinated by her musical endowments, genuineness and ingenuousness, combined with inborn sense of style and music form as well the intensity, thoughtfulness and remarkable technical profiency of this young talented pianist.”

                                                                                                                                   Sol Gabetta

                                                                                                                                  Cello soloist