Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev, with many awards and honors to his credit, continues to astound and mesmerize audiences at major venues on three continents. Winner of the 2005 World Piano Competition in Cincinati, OH, Ilya 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. Ilya attended the Rimsky-Korsakov College of Music in his native St. Petersburg, Russia, and subsequently came to New York City to attend Mannes College of Music where he studied with legendary pianist Vladimir Feltsman. Ilya is a Yamaha Artist.