Leonid Gorokhov studied at the St Petersburg Conservatoire with Anatoli Nikitin and took part in masterclasses with Daniil Shafran. Following early successes at the Concertino Praha International Competition for Young Performers and the All-Russia Cello Competition, he won First Prize in the 1986 Geneva Concours International d'Execution Musicale where he was also awarded the Grand Prix Patek Philippe and the Paul Strait Prize. A highlight of 1987 was the accolade of the Premier Grand Prix in the Paris Chamber Music Competition. In 1995 the European Association for Encouragement of the Arts and the Fondation des Prix Européens awarded Leonid Gorokhov the European Prize for Cultural Achievement, which 'recognises exceptional talent and outstanding artistic accomplishment'.
In 1991 he appeared as soloist with the St Petersburg Philharmonic conducted by Lord Menuhin; their strong musical rapport led to an invitation to take up a teaching post at the Yehudi Menuhin School and to further concerto engagements with the Bergen Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, English Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia and the Zurich Tonhalle. In 1995 Leonid Gorokhov made a triumphant return to Russia in performances of the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Philharmonia Hungarica, again conducted by Lord Menuhin. Now also a Professor at the Royal College of Music he was proud to be awarded British Citizenship in September 1998.
He has been invited to appear at such prestigious festivals as Blackheath PianoWorks; Budapest Spring; Corinthian Summer; Davos; Gstaad; Harrogate; Interlaken; Ljubljana; Perth, Scotland; Schleswig-Holstein; Spoleto and Mstislav Rostropovich's Evian Festival performing the Brahms Trio with Lord Menuhin. Recent concerto engagements have included performances with the Basel Symphony Orchestra; Biel-Bienne Symphony Orchestra; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Berlin Radio Orchestra; Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra; Prague Radio Orchestra; Promusica Salzburg and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. In St Petersburg he has played with the Philharmonic, the Conservatoire Orchestra and the State Capella.
Leonid Gorokhov recently formed a duo with distinguished Russian pianist Nikolai Demidenko; during the 1999/2000 season they have been invited to give recitals at the festivals of Ampthill, Belfast (with BBC broadcast), Guildford, Ramsgate, Rye and West Cork. Reviewing the Belfast Festival Recital in the Belfast Telegraph, Rathcol said "Demidenko's artistry is legendary and to say that the playing of his fellow Russian, Leonid Gorokhov, was stunning would be an understatement. His sumptuous tone and technically immaculate playing…was a revelation, while Demidenko's brilliant piano playing was beautifully gauged in balance and finish ..this was a recital to remember." Forthcoming engagements include performances of the Borodin Quintet with the Medici String Quartet at the University of Surrey and in Geneva, and the Dvorak Cello Concerto at the Macau Arts Festival. In July 2000 he takes part in the Bastad Chamber Music Festival, Sweden.
His discography includes recordings of Boccherini, Debussy, Haydn, Kodaly, Martinu,Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Tortelier for Melodyia. For Supraphon he has recorded concertos by Martinu and Saint-Saens with the Brno Philharmonic conducted by Lord Menuhin and an album of works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky. His most recent recording, for Olympia, is entitled "Russian Discoveries"; this contains some wonderful but rarely performed music. |
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