Stanislav Ioudenitch – Artistic Director

Praised for his technical brilliance and profound musical insight, Stanislav Ioudenitch is recognized as one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation. Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, he has captivated audiences worldwide with performances that combine intellectual depth, emotional nuance, and virtuoso artistry. Prior to his Cliburn win that launched his international career, Ioudenitch had gained top prizes at many international competitions, including the Ferruccio Busoni, William Kapell, Maria Callas, and New Orleans International Piano Competitions, among others.

Ioudenitch’s career as a soloist has taken him to renowned stages across the globe, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Munich’s Gasteig, Milan’s Conservatorio Verdi, Moscow’s Great Conservatory Hall, the Mariinsky Theatre, Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall, Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet, Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the International Piano Festival of La Roque d’Anthéron, and the Aspen Music Festival.

He has appeared with leading orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), the Rochester Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony, and Russia’s National Philharmonic. His collaborations include esteemed conductors such as James Conlon, James DePreist, Asher Fisch, Justus Franz, Valery Gergiev, Günther Herbig, Mikhail Pletnev, Stefan Sanderling, Carl St. Clair, and Michael Stern.

Ioudenitch has also collaborated with distinguished chamber ensembles, including the Takács Quartet, the Prazák Quartet, and the Borromeo Quartet.

A lifelong advocate for artistic growth, Stanislav Ioudenitch’s pedagogical lineage is deeply rooted in the traditions of some of the 20th century’s most influential pianists and pedagogues. His teachers have included Natalia Vasinkina at the Uspensky School of Music in Tashkent, Dmitri Bashkirov and Galina Eguiazarova at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, and Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Leon Fleisher, Rosalyn Tureck, and William Grant Nabore at the International Piano Foundation in Como, Italy (now the International Piano Academy Lake Como). Ioudenitch later became the youngest faculty member in the history of the Lake Como Academy and was subsequently appointed Vice President, a role he continues to hold today.

As the founder of Park University’s International Center for Music in Kansas City, Ioudenitch serves as both Artistic Director and Professor of Piano. He is also a Professor of Piano at Oberlin Conservatory and at Madrid’s Reina Sofía School of Music, where he holds the Fundación Banco Santander Piano Chair.

Ioudenitch’s contributions to music education have gained international recognition, with his students winning top prizes at prestigious competitions such as the Cliburn, Tchaikovsky, Geza Anda, London, Enescu, and Sydney. Many now maintain thriving careers as performers on international stages. Beyond his teaching, he is frequently invited to serve as a juror at important international competitions and to lead masterclasses around the world.