An internationally renowned pianist celebrated for the depth of his playing, his elegance, and his great musical sensitivity, Michail Lifits began studying the piano at the age of five. At just thirteen, he made his stage debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Uzbekistan National Philharmonic Orchestra. Three years later, his family moved to Germany. He then continued his training at the University of Music and Drama in Hanover under Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Bernd Goetzke, before furthering his studies with Boris Petrushansky at the Incontri col Maestro International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy.

His career was quickly marked by prestigious awards. He won first prizes in succession at the Pianello Val Tidone competition in 2003, the Treviso competition in 2004, and the Monza competition in 2006. In 2009, he emerged as a laureate in three major international competitions: a semifinalist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas, he went on to win First Prize at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano that same year, as well as First Prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in the United States.

These successes have paved the way for an international career. Since then, Michail Lifits has performed in recitals and with numerous leading orchestras in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He has been invited to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Louvre Auditorium in Paris. Particularly devoted to chamber music, Michail Lifits regularly shares the stage with internationally renowned artists, including violinists Vilde Frang and Corina Belcea, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, and violist Nils Mönkemeyer. This passion for musical dialogue is also evident in his trio with Corina Belcea and Antoine Lederlin.

In 2011, he signed an exclusive contract with Decca Classics, which released his first critically acclaimed album dedicated to Mozart the following year. In 2015, he embarked on an ambitious project dedicated to Franz Schubert’s piano works, notably including a recording of all of his sonatas. He also continued his exploration of the great repertoire with recordings of the 24 Preludes and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet.

In addition to his career as a concert pianist, Michail Lifits is a renowned and highly sought-after educator. After teaching at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hanover, he was appointed professor of piano at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar in April 2022. Michail Lifits also heads the piano department and serves on the university’s governing board. A Steinway Artist since 2014, Michail Lifits now divides his time between major international stages, chamber music, recording, and teaching, embodying a vision of music rooted in high standards, curiosity, and a dialogue with the works themselves.