Various Composers - Fusions (Nikolay Medvedev)

Information

• Nikolai Kapustin - Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 54
• George Gershwin - 3 Preludes
• Nikolai Kapustin - 8 Concert Études, Op. 40 (selections)
• Earl Wild - 7 Virtuoso Etudes after George Gershwin:
• Nikolai Kapustin - Variations for Piano, Op. 41

Nikolay Medvedev, piano

Date: 2026

Label: SOMM Recordings

_____________________

SOMM Recordings' exciting new release, Fusions, features award-winning, Russian-born pianist Nikolay Medvedev performing the jazz-influenced classical music of George Gershwin and Nikolai Kapustin, alongside virtuosic adaptations by Earl Wild. Celebrated for his technical mastery and emotional depth, Medvedev naturally navigates Kapustin’s strictly notated, non-improvised jazz idioms. The program opens with Kapustin's optimistic Second Piano Sonata, a four-movement piece blending traditional sonata form with complex, syncopated rhythms. Additionally, Medvedev showcases five selection from Kapustin’s Eight Concert Études, brilliantly capturing a sophisticated harmonic palette that spans stride piano, bebop, and lively South American carnival textures.

Born in 1986, pianist Nikolay Medvedev trained at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music under Tatiana Zelikman and was shaped by legendary mentors like Nikolai Petrov. A laureate of prestigious competitions, including the Horowitz Competition, his expansive repertoire focuses on Western and Russian Romantic masterworks, alongside a specialized affinity for the jazz-infused classical music of Nikolai Kapustin. Following a tenure on the Gnessin faculty from 2014 to 2022, Medvedev relocated to Berlin, subsequently broadening his European and international presence with acclaimed appearances at venues such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Brucknerhaus Linz, and various global festivals.