OLGA KERN
PIANO
With a vivid onstage presence, dazzling technique, and keen musicality, pianist Olga Kern is widely recognized as one of the great artists of her generation, captivating audiences and critics alike.
Born in Moscow, Russia, she began studying piano at age 5. She launched her U.S. career in 2001 at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, winning a Gold Medal—the only woman in the last fifty years to do so. She has since performed with top-tier ensembles, among them the St. Louis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), Czech Philharmonic, and Filarmonica della Scala. She has also scored successes with Tokyo’s NHK Symphony, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, and Pittsburgh Symphony. She was a soloist on U.S. tours with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2018 and 2022, both of which were widely praised. She has also performed riveting recitals in Savannah, Fort Worth, Minneapolis, Poland, and Sweden. Locally, Ms. Kern performed a recital as part of Des Moines Civic Music Association’s Lauridsen Great Pianists Series.
Engagements during the 2023–2024 season included performances of Rachmaninoff’s monumental four concertos and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Austin Symphony and with Virginia Symphony Orchestra, a nationally broadcast New Year’s concert with the Czech Philharmonic, and toured South Africa and Asia. The previous season, she appeared with the Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, and Colorado Symphony. She performed recitals at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival and the International Piano Festival of Oeiras as well as in Brno and Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic; Virginia Beach; Chicago; and San Francisco.
Olga has served as a jury chairman of several high-profile competitions, including her own, the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, of which she is Artistic Director. A dedicated educator, she has been on the piano faculty of the Manhattan School of Music since 2017, and in 2019, she was appointed the Connie and Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music at the Virginia Arts Festival. She also established Aspiration, a foundation that provides financial assistance to musicians around the world.
Olga Kern is a Steinway Artist whose well-regarded discography includes works of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Brahms, and Shostakovich. Olga’s iconic dresses are designed by Alex Teih (New York), and her jewelry is designed by Alex Soldier (New York).
Interested in seeing Olga Kern perform live? Join the Des Moines Symphony Saturday, September 28th at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 29th at 2:30 PM at the Des Moines Civic Center!
These concerts mark Ms. Kern’s first appearance with the Des Moines Symphony.
