Natalia Smirnova laid what was to become the foundations for Andrey Gugnin to pursue the career of a concert pianist, which enabled him to study with Olga Mechetina, Valery Kastelsky & Lev Naumov and later with Vera Gornostayeva at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory whereupon from 2016 he continues with Stanislav Ioudenitch and William Naboré at the International Piano Academy Lake Como.
In 2013 Andrey Gugnin gained 2nd prize at the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Vienna and 2014 saw the Gold Medal and the Audience Award at the XVI International Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, followed by the first prize in the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2016, taking the accolades for best overall concerto, best 19th or 20th century concerto, best violin and piano sonata, and best preliminaries round one recital.
Excelling in four hands with Vadym Kholodenko, his capacity as an avid chamber musician is well proven the 2nd prize gained in 2008 at San Marino Competition.
Gugnin has performed under the baton of Maestro Valery Gergiev with the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra as well as other conductors such as Jaap Van Zweden, Reinbert de Leeuw, Daniel Raiskin, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Asher Fisch. London Philharmonic Orchestra, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony and Sydney Symphony are just a few of the orchestras that had welcomed Gugnin as guest soloist.
He has enjoyed chamber music with Asko Schönberg ensemble, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Jerusalem Camerata and Camerata Salzburg and on several occasions duo with violinist Tasmin Little.
Gugnin is very much in demand as a recording artist ranging from piano concertos by Shostakovich together with the State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia, (Delos International, 2007), music for piano duo iDuo (together with Vadim Kholodenko, Delos International, 2010), duo program with violinist Ioana Cristina Goicea (Atoll Records, 2019) and a recital program from (Steinway & Sons) with the Pictures of the Exhibition. The recording of Shostakovich concerti was used on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning film, “Bridge of spies”. Andrey has also recorded for TV and radio in Russia, The Netherlands, Croatia, Austria, Australia, Switzerland and the USA.
Gugnin had recorded Shostakovich signing with Hyperion Records in 2018 (coming out September 2019) followed by his second CD “Hommage to Godowsky” under the same Label.
Gramophone reviewed his Liszt CD (PianoClassics) as the Editors choice plus “one to watch” section.
In 2020 Gugnin embarks to perform all Beethoven concerti with Moscow Philharmonic in his personal Subscription series.
Vienna’s Musikverein, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Carnegie Hall in New York, Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Sydney Opera House, the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Mariinsky Concert Hall, the Louvre, Paris, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space and Asahi Hamarikyu Hall just to mention part of the expanding list.
Verbier Festival, Ruhr Klavier Festival, Mariinsky International Festival, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, the Ohrid Summer Festival, Duszniki Chopin International festival are just part of the extensive list of the festivals he has participated.
