Ilya Yakushev, a fresh and exciting new presence in the piano world, has many awards and honors to his credit, and has performed at major venues on three continents.

As First Prize and Gold Medal winner of the 2005 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has toured the US in the spring of 2006 and presented a solo recital at Alice Tully Hall in April, 2007. As Grand Prize Winner of the 2004 Mannes College Concerto Competition, Mr. Yakushev made his Tully Hall debut as soloist in Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto with The Mannes Orchestra under the baton of Metropolitan Opera conductor Paul Nadler, a performance that was subsequently broadcast on WQXR-FM.

Mr. Yakushev has further proven his abilities as a concerto soloist by organizing and producing three concerts at Mannes, accompanied by orchestras consisting of Mannes students and alumni who expressed their regard for his talents by participating as volunteers. In the spring of 2005, he performed a concert featuring Prokofiev's Second Concerto and Beethoven's Third Concerto. In March 2006, he performed three piano concerti in one evening: Saint-Saens' Second Concerto, Ravel's Concerto in G, and Prokofiev's First Concerto, in a concert conducted by his teacher at Mannes, legendary pianist Vladimir Feltsman. And in February 2007, he went one step further, performing four concerti in one evening in his final performance as a student at Mannes, also conducted by Maestro Feltsman.

Last season, Mr. Yakushev received enthusiastic critical acclaim for his bravura performances of Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto at the Arkansas Symphony's opening concert in September 2006, and of Prokofiev’s First and Fourth Piano Concertos at the Prokofiev Festival performances of San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He attracted international attention through his European tour in December 2006, presenting solo recitals at such venues as Bechstein Center (Berlin), Musikverein (Vienna), and Rubinstein Academy (Dusseldorf). He also toured Southeast Asia, performing in Singapore and Malaysia. In past seasons, he has performed in various prestigious venues including Alice Tully Hall (New York), Glinka Philharmonic Hall (St. Petersburg), Victoria Hall (Singapore), Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York), Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco), and Sejong Performing Arts Center (Seoul, Korea).

Mr. Yakushev received his first award at age 12 as a prizewinner of the Young Artists Concerto Competition in his native St. Petersburg. In 1997, he received the Mayor of St. Petersburg's Young Talents award, and in both 1997 and 1998, he won First Prize at the Donostia Hiria International Piano Competition in San Sebastian, Spain. In 1998, he received a national honor, The Award for Excellence in Performance, presented to him by the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation in Moscow. Most recently, Mr. Yakushev became a recipient of the prestigious Gawon International Music Society’s Award in Seoul, Korea. In addition to his performing career, Mr. Yakushev is presently serving as Executive Director of the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes, founded and directed by Jerome Rose, a position he has held since 2002.