Distinguished Russian-British pianist Konstantin Lapshin, described by Murray Perahia as “a very special talent,” is a prizewinner in more than fifteen international piano competitions, including the Schubert International Piano Competition in Dortmund, Germany, and the Rachmaninov International Piano Competition in Moscow. Mikhail Pletnev once described Konstantin’s playing in the following words: “Konstantin Lapshin has a special edge in his performance. He has a great deal to communicate to the audience… and this is the main thing.”
Fanfare Magazine (USA) praised him for possessing “a big, impressive technique, and the impulsive, Romantic expression that has been a hallmark of so many Russian pianists, including Rachmaninov and Horowitz.”
Originally from Russia, Konstantin made London his home in 2007 in order to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music. There, he earned an Artist Diploma, Master’s degree, and Doctoral degree, as well as the College’s highest honor, the Queen Elizabeth Rose Bowl, in addition to several other prestigious awards. He subsequently performed for the then-HRH Prince Charles.
Before relocating to London, Konstantin completed his studies at the Moscow State Conservatoire under Mikhail Voskresensky and Lev Naumov, the renowned Russian pedagogue and representative of the great Heinrich Neuhaus school.
Konstantin enjoys an international performing career that has taken him throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa, appearing in major venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Fairfield Halls in London, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and Salle Cortot in Paris, among many others. His performances have been broadcast in Russia, the United Kingdom (BBC Radio 3), Poland, Serbia, and Argentina.
In 2014, Konstantin was invited to perform Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra under Grammy Award-winning conductor and pianist Mikhail Pletnev. The performance formed part of the Rachmaninov Festival in Odessa, dedicated to the victims of the tragic events that occurred in Ukraine earlier that year.
In 2024, Konstantin launched his own London-based music festival, Konstantin Lapshin Presents, devoted primarily to introducing artists who rarely perform in the United Kingdom to London audiences.
Konstantin is also highly sought after as a chamber musician. A recording of music by Welsh composer Grace Williams, made in collaboration with M. Mitchell and other artists, was named “CD of the Week” by The Guardian and reached No. 2 on the UK classical music charts.
His concerto appearances have included performances with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra and Mikhail Pletnev, Dortmund Symphony Orchestra and Dirk Kaftan, Westdeutsche Sinfonia and Dirk Joeres, Timișoara Symphony Orchestra and Radu Popa, Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra and Evgeny Bushkov, Saratov Symphony Orchestra, Volgograd Symphony Orchestra and Eduard Serov, De Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra and Robin Browning, and Havant Symphony Orchestra and Samuel Draper.
Festival appearances have included the Brighton Festival, Chipping Campden Festival, Buxton International Festival, Leeds International Concert Series, the Schumann and Beethoven Festivals at St. Barnabas (UK), the Bath Piano Recital Series, Primavera Classica (Italy), Yamaha Presents (Gradus ad Parnassum) in Moscow, In Memory of V. Lotar-Shevchenko in Novosibirsk, All Mozart’s Concertos in Volgograd with the Volgograd Symphony Orchestra, the Black Sea Music Fest in Odessa, and many others.
Alongside his performing career, Konstantin is also a dedicated pedagogue. He teaches at the Royal College of Music, where his students regularly receive prizes and awards in international competitions. He is also frequently invited to serve as a jury member and to give master classes in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Argentina.