Nikolay Khozyainov is widely recognized as one of the most remarkable pianists, composers, and conductors of his generation. Celebrated for his poetic musicality and breathtaking technique, he has captivated audiences on the world’s leading stages.
Born in 1992 in Blagoveshchensk, a city in the Russian Far East, Khozyainov began playing the piano at the age of five, quickly revealing an extraordinary talent. By age six, he made his debut with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by international appearances: Munich and Frankfurt at seven, Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées at nine, the United States at sixteen, and the United Nations at seventeen. Since then, Khozyainov has performed in many of the world’s foremost concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, Wigmore Hall in London, the Louvre and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Sydney Opera House, Tonhalle in Zurich, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Victoria Hall in Geneva, and the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome. He has appeared with leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonia Orchestra, La Scala Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and Ireland’s RTE National Symphony Orchestra, among many others.
Khozyainov is a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, where he earned a gold medal in both piano and conducting, and holds an advanced diploma from the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover, Germany. In 2012, he won First Prize at both the Dublin International Piano Competition and the Sydney International Piano Competition, earning multiple special prizes as well.
In 2020–2021, he recorded the complete works of Frédéric Chopin. His discography includes five albums released on CD Accord, Naxos, JVC Victor, and Rondeau, featuring works by Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Ravel, and Schubert.
An artist of international stature, Khozyainov was knighted as a Knight Commander by the Spanish Royal Family in 2022 and was decorated by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan following a concert at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. That same year, he was commissioned by the United Nations to compose Petals of Peace, which premiered at the United Nations Human Rights Hall in Geneva and later received its American premiere at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco—the historic site of the signing of the UN Charter. For his contributions, he was awarded the United Nations Gold Medal for Peace.
Khozyainov is the founder, general director, and music director of the Peace Philharmonic Orchestra based in Geneva. He is also a polyglot, conducting interviews in 11 languages, and his compositions are published by Muse Press in Tokyo. He currently resides in Switzerland.