Russian-born pianist
Lisa Smirnova became an Austrian citizen after years of studying and living Salzburg and Vienna. She attended both the Gnessin School and the Moscow
Tchaikovsky Conservatory before continuing at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In 1993, she became the first pianist to win the
Brahms Prize at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
Smirnova not only performs the classic piano concerto and solo repertoire, from
Bach to
Brahms, she also works with contemporary composers and frequently is found at chamber music festivals and recitals. She has recorded concertos by
Haydn and
Beethoven, chamber music by
Bloch,
Paganini,
Schumann, and
Bach, and in 2012 released an album of
Handel's solo keyboard suites.