Marian Lapšanský, piano

Marian LapšanskýFoto: Materiály SOČR

This internationally recognized artist has propagated good name of Slovak musical culture all over the world for a number of decades. His unique career is ornamented by a vast range of accomplishments and awards. The most recent ones include the Supraphon Prize and Gold Harmony for a CD with music of Rachmaninov, Schnittke and Pärt (1995, together with cellist Jiří Bárta), Classic Prize for the recording of Fibich's piano cycles Moods, Impressions & Reminiscences (1997), Daliborka Prize for the Best Czech Recording of 1998 (Leoš Janáček compositions) or the prestigious Gustav Mahler European Prize (2002).

A graduate from Bratislava Music conservatory, Prague academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (with František Maxián and Jan Panenka) and P. I. Tchaikovsky Music Conservatory in Moscow (with Viktor Merzhanov), Lapšanský has repeatedly performed in all European countries, playing also in Cuba, South Africa, Canada, USA, Mexico and Japan. He is admired by audiences at major cultural events (Prague Spring, Wiener Festwochen, Salzburger Festspiele, Berliner Festspiele, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Budapest or Sofia Musical Weeks, Summer Festival in Dubrovnik); collaborates with the most prominent orchestras (Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresdner Staatskapelle, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestre de la Radio Suisse Romande). 

Marian Lapšanský is not only a renowned soloist but an excellent and extremely popular chamber partner as well, performing in chamber duos (mainly with Peter Toperczer or Eugen Indjic), giving concerts with prominent singers and instrumentalists (Peter Dvorský, Gabriela Beňačková, Magdaléna Hajóssyová, Sergej Kopčák, Yelena Obrazcova, Dagmar Pecková, Peter Schreier, Josef Suk, Raphael Wallfish). He has made numerous radio and television recordings as well as more than fifty LP and CD titles for Opus, Supraphon, Eurodisc, Victor Japan, Eterna, Panton and other labels. 

Marian Lapšanský is also an active organizer of Slovak musical life and teacher, working as professor at Prague, Bratislava and Banská Bystrica Music Academies, conducted master classes in Tokyo, Budapest and Semmering. In 1990, he founded and headed for the next ten years Piešťany International Interpretation Courses, initiated Bratislava-held International Hummel Piano Contest of which he is president. With the aim of supporting young artists, he established Cyril & Methodius Foundation (1990); in addition, he set up and has been directing to this very day near-Tatra Towns Festival Musica nobilis. Activities and initiatives of Marian Lapšanský are far more ramified. In 2004, he was appointed Director-General of Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.