Concert Pianist, Impresario, Philanthropist
Olga Kern
American pianist Olga Kern is now recognized as
one of her generation’s great artists. With her vivid stage presence,
passionately confident musicianship and extraordinary technique, the striking pianist
continues to captivate fans and critics alike. Olga Kern was born into a family of
musicians with direct links to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff and began studying piano
at the age of five. She jumpstarted her U.S. career with her historic Gold Medal at the
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas as the first woman to do
so in more than thirty years.
Steinway Artist and First prize winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at
seventeen, Ms. Kern is a laureate of many international competitions. In 2016 she served as Jury
Chairman of both the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the first Olga
Kern International Piano Competition, where she also holds the title of Artistic Director. Ms.
Kern frequently gives masterclasses and since September 2017 has served on the piano faculty of
the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Additionally, Ms. Kern has been chosen as the Virginia
Arts Festival’s new Connie & Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music, beginning with the 2019 season.
For the 2019-20 season, Kern will perform with the Allentown Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, and the New West
Symphony, as well as appearing on United States Tour with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
She will appear in recitals in Orford, Sunriver, Fort Worth (Cliburn), Carmel, and San Francisco.
In recent seasons, Kern performed with the Moscow Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony,
as well as opened the Pacific Symphony’s 2018-19 season. Kern was also a featured soloist for the Royal Scottish
National Orchestra during the 2018-19 Tour. She also served as Artist in Residence for the San Antonio Symphony’s
2017-18 season and had her Chinese debut with the National Youth Orchestra of China tour. Ms. Kern opened the
Baltimore Symphony’s 2015-2016 centennial season with Marin Alsop. Other season highlights included returns to the
Royal Philharmonic with Pinchas Zukerman, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice with Giancarlo Guerrero.
Ms. Kern’s discography includes Harmonia Mundi recordings of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 with
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Christopher Seaman (2003), her Grammy Nominated recording
of Rachmaninoff’s Corelli Variations and other transcriptions (2004), a recital disk with works by
Rachmaninoff and Balakirev (2005), Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic and
Antoni Wit (2006), Brahms Variations (2007) and a 2010 release of Chopin Piano Sonatas No. 2 and 3
(2010). Most recently, SONY released their recording of Ms. Kern performing the Rachmaninoff Sonata
for Cello and Piano with cellist Sol Gabetta. She was also featured in the award-winning documentary
about the 2001 Cliburn Competition, Playing on the Edge, as well as Olga’s Journey, Musical Odyssey in
St. Petersburg and in They Came to Play. In 2012, Olga and her brother, conductor and composer, Vladimir
Kern, co-founded the “Aspiration” foundation whose objective is to provide financial and artistic assistance
to musicians throughout the world.
In 2017, Ms. Kern was gratified to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, joining other honorees
including Rosa Parks, Buzz Aldrin, Coretta Scott King, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
This commendation recognizes Americans who “embody the spirit of America in their salute to tolerance,
brotherhood, diversity, and patriotism.”
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contact us
27W 60th St, #20017
New York,
NY 10023
+1 646 858 91 93
info@kernfoundationaspiration.org