Violin Recital with Elena-Danaia Maks & Mikhail Mordvinov, piano

Born in southern Russia in 2001, Elena-Danaia Maks began studying violin at the State Music School and continued her studies at the Rostock University of Music and the Berlin University of the Arts. Since 2005, she has attended master classes with internationally renowned professors and soloists such as Marianne Boettcher, Holger Wangerin, Alissa Margulis, Kirill Troussov, Sergei Krylov, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, and Viktor Tretiakov. As early as 2005, Elena performed with an orchestra at the age of just four. From 2005 to 2013, she undertook numerous concert tours throughout Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as appearances at festivals and prize-winners’ concerts. Since 2014, she has undertaken concert tours to Germany and Austria, supported by the Frankfurter Sparkasse and the Tonkünstlerverband, among others. Her competition awards include first prize at the “Open Europe” International Music Competition in Moscow in 2010 (at the age of 8), first prize at the “Planet of Talents” International Music Competition in Astrakhan in in 2011, Second Prize at “Planet of Talents” in 2012, Third Prize at the International Festival of Young Classical Music Performers in Baku, Azerbaijan, and a diploma for her contribution to the preservation of Jewish national culture through musical performance. In 2018, Elena won first prize at the 19th Mendelssohn Competition in Kronberg and participated in the Kronberg Academy’s “Mit Musik Miteinander” project. In 2024, she won the top prize at the Fauré World Music Competition, and in 2025, she won second prize at the International Mozart Competition in Berlin. Since the summer semester of 2026, Elena has been studying in the master’s program at the Blackmore International Music Academy under Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Viktor Tretiakov.

Mikhail Mordvinov, born in Moscow, is considered one of the most prominent Russian pianists of his generation.

Following numerous successes at international competitions, he now performs worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and song accompanist. Radio and CD recordings attest to his virtuosity and musical maturity. Mordvinov began playing the piano at the age of six and, starting at age seven, studied in Tatjana Zelikman’s piano class at the Gnessin Music School in Moscow. In 1994, he began his studies at the Russian Gnessin Academy under Professor Vladimir Tropp. There, he was named “Best Student of the Year” in 1997. He subsequently pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Music and Drama in Hanover under Prof. Bernd Goetzke. Since receiving the Scriabin Scholarship from the Moscow Scriabin Museum in 1994, he has been a regular guest at the Scriabin Music Festival. In 1997–98, Mikhail Mordvinov was also a Heinrich Neuhaus Scholar. Between 2004 and 2006, he received support from the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London. Mikhail Mordvinov is a prize winner at numerous competitions and has won, among other awards, First Prize at the 12th International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1996), First Prize and a Special Prize at the 6th International Schubert Competition in Dortmund (1997), and First Prize and a Special Prize at the 12th International Competition in Andorra (2006).