Simon Trpčeski

Simon Trpčeski has been praised not only for his powerful virtuosity and deeply expressive approach, but also for his charismatic stage presence.

Launched onto the international scene 20 years ago as a BBC New-Generation Artist, beginning an incredibly fast-paced career that encompasses no cultural or musical boundaries, Trpčeski has collaborated with more than a hundred orchestras on four continents.

As a much sought-after soloist, Trpčeski has worked with a long list of prominent conductors, including Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Cristian Măcelaru, Charles Dutoit, Jakob Hrusa, Vladimir Jurowski, Susanna Malkki, Andris Nelsons, Antonio Pappano, Vasily Petrenko, Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas and David Zinman. He has a long-standing relationship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, further strengthened during the tenure of Vasily Petrenko. 

An acclaimed recitalist, Trpčeski has performed in major halls in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Munich, Prague, Hamburg, Bilbao, Istanbul, Dublin and Tokyo. Since his debut at Wigmore Hall in 2001, he has remained a regular guest of this prestigious venue, including a residency in 2018. In chamber music, Trpčeski partners with cellist Daniel Müller-Schott and appears as a chamber musician in festivals at Aspen, Verbier, Risor, Bergen and the Baltic Sea.

Trpčeski is also committed to strengthening the cultural image of his native Macedonia. His latest chamber music project, Makedonissimo, is dedicated to introducing audiences worldwide to Macedonian folk roots. With the collaboration of composer Pande Shahov, Makedonissimo fuses the Macedonian folk music tradition with jazz-influenced riffs and harmonies. Since its successful premiere in Germany at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, the project has traveled to Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania, with future performances scheduled in Russia, New Zealand and Australia.

His natural affinity for Russian composers of the 19th and 20th century is featured on seven CDs with works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. He has also recorded the music of Chopin, Brahms, Poulenc, Bach, Liszt and Debussy. His debut album received Editor’s Choice and Debut Album honors at the 2002 Gramophone Awards. His Rachmaninov concerto cycle in 2010-11 was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice and also received a Diapason d’Or. 

With the special support of KulturOp — Macedonia’s leading cultural and arts organization — Trpčeski works regularly with young musicians in Macedonia to nuture the next generation of artists. In 2009, he received the Presidential Order of Merit for Macedonia, a decoration given to foreign and domestic dignitaries responsible for the affirmation of Macedonia abroad. In 2011, he became the first-ever recipient of the title National Artist of Macedonia.

Born in 1979, Trpčeski is a graduate of the School of Music at the University of St. Cyril and St. Methodius in Skopje, where he studied with Boris Romanov. In 2003, he was honored with the Young Artist Award by the Royal Philharmonic Society.

February 2021

Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSOA by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.