First Prize winner of the 8th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht
Third Prize winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, 2015
“…Immensely gifted pianist…with prodigious technique, myriad shadings and scrupulous accuracy…” New York Times
Ukrainian-born pianist Vitaly Pisarenko commenced his study in Moscow with Professor Yuri Slesarev at the Central Music School and the State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Since September 2012 Vitaly lives in London. He studied at the Royal College of Music in the class of Professor Dmitri Alexeev. Vitaly completed his Master’s degree in 2014 and Artist Diploma degree in 2015 as an Emma Rose Memorial Scholar and a Bob and Sarah Wigley and Helmut Schuster Scholar. Vitaly has performed in over 30 countries, including solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, Musikverein in Vienna, Bozar in Brussels, National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall, Mozarteum in Salzburg, de Singel in Antwerp, Toyota Concert Hall in Japan, Hong Kong City Hall, Salle Cortot in Paris and Palace of Arts in Budapest. He has also played with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Noord Nederlands Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra on tour in Japan, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Het Gelders Orchestra, the YMSO and others performing at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Cadogan Hall in London, Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire, Tokyo Opera City, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Sala San Paulo in Brazil and De Doelen in Rotterdam among others. The Association of Music Critics of Argentina presented Vitaly with the ‘2018 Revelation Award’.
Since January 2020 Vitaly is a principal study teacher at the Purcell School for young musicians. In September 2021 he started teaching at the Royal College of Music in London as an Assistant Professor to Dmitri Alexeev. In September 2023 Vitaly has been appointed a Professor of piano at the Royal College of Music, London.
Performances in 2023-2025 include the tours in China, recitals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Argentina, Singapore (at the Esplanade Concert Hall and at the Victoria Concert Hall), Brazil (at the Sala San Paulo and at the Sala Cecilia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro amongst other cities). Festival appearances include the Michelangeli Piano Festival, Lerici Music Festival, Guiting Festival, Zacatecas International Music Festival and Liszt Festival in Bavaria amongst others. In 2026 Vitaly has already given recitals at the Victoria Hall in Singapore, the Pharos Arts Foundation in Cyprus, the Liszt Competition Gala in Utrecht and the Schloss Lichtenau in Potsdam, as well as recitals in Malaysia, Italy and Belgium. In April 2026 Vitaly returns to Mexico for recitals and masterclasses, followed by a performance at the National Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In July 2026 he makes his debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra at the Shanghai Music Festival followed by recitals and masterclasses in China.