Dr Evgeny Igorevich Kissin was born in Moscow in October 1971 and began to play the piano at the age of two. He entered the Moscow Gnessin School of Music when he was six, and came to international attention in 1984, when at the age of 12, Dr Kissin performed Chopin's Piano Concertos in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Moscow State Philharmonic, under Dmitri Kitaenko.
Since his first appearance outside Russia in 1985, Dr Kissin has played with leading orchestras and conductors, and performed in the world's greatest halls. He was named Musical America's Youngest Instrumentalist of the Year in 1994 and was the youngest awardee of the Triumph Award in 1997, for his outstanding contribution to Russia's culture. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the Manhattan School of Music in 2001, and received the Shostakovich Award in Moscow in 2003 and the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize in 2005.
Kissin's recordings have received many awards, including the Edison Klassiek, the Diapason d'Or, the Grand Prix of La Nouvelle Academic du Disque and the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra).
In recognition of his contributions to the art of music, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa.
