Lilya Zilberstein is a Russian-born, world-renowned pianist. She began playing the piano at the age of five. Following 11 years of lessons with Ada Traub at the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music, she went on to study with Alexander Satz at the Gnessin Institute. She got her first taste of international success in 1987, when she won the Busoni Piano Competition in Bolzano. Her victory was a sensation – it took five years until the first prize was even awarded again.
In 1990, Lilya Zilberstein emigrated to Germany. She debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado in 1991, which formed the basis of a long-term cooperation. She performed concerts with many famous international orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra in Moscow, London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Teatro della Scala in Milan, Staatskapelle Dresden, and many others. Alongside Claudio Abbado, she has worked with conductors such as John Axelrod, Paavo Berglund, Semyon Bychkov, Gustavo Dudamel, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Alun Francis, Leopold Hager, Dmitrij Kitajenko, James Levine, Vassily Sinaisky, Michael Tilson Thomas, Jean-Pascal Tortelier, Marcello Viotti and Antoni Wit. In August 1998, she was awarded the Accademia Musicale Chigiana International Prize in Siena.
The pianist is a regular guest in the major concert halls and at the most important festivals all over Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia, South America and the Middle East. A few years ago, she played extensive world tours as the chamber music partner of Maxim Vengerov. With her duo partner Martha Argerich, she celebrated her 20-year anniversary on the stage in 2019.
Lilya Zilberstein is jury member of important international piano competitions. She devotes a substantial part of her time to the education of young musicians. She gives masterclasses at the Chigiana Academy in Siena (since 2011) and during her concert travels in universities all over the world. From 2009 till 2013, she was guest professor at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg, and since 2014, she is professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
