Irena Gulzarova

Irena Gulzarova can be heard on world-renowned concert stages and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, the Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Grafenegg Festival, Oxford Piano Festival, and the Moscow Philharmonic. She has collaborated successfully with conductors such as Lawrence Foster, Vladimir Spivakov, Konstantin Orbelian, Dmitry Kitayenko, Kamolidin Urinbaev, Eldar Azimov, Aziz Shokhakimov, and others. For many years, Irena Gulzarova has performed with internationally renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Tonkunstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Basel Symphony Orchestra, and the Uzbek Philharmonic Orchestra. Her passion for chamber music sees her share the stage with musicians like Rudolf Buchbinder, Mischa Maisky, Vadim Repin, Ilya Gringolts, Daniel Hope, and others. Irena’s repertoire spans from Bach to contemporary pieces. She actively promotes new music and has introduced numerous world premieres by contemporary composers, including Daniel Andres, Dilorom Saidaminova, Beat Gysin, and Dmitry Varelas.

Irena Gulzarova was born in 1982 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in a family of musicians. She received her first piano lessons at the age of six. Irena first performed on stage at the age of eight and at 13, she toured several cities in Germany. While studying at the V. Uspensky Specialized Central Music School, she won first prize at the International Piano Competition in Palma de Mallorca; this was followed by concert invitations to Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Russia. She later received the First Prize and the Audience Award at the International Piano Competition in Salerno, Italy.

Irena began her studies at the V. Uspensky Specialized Central Music School, where her teachers were Lyudmila Mermelstein and Alla Kim. Continuing her education, she became a student of Professor Marat Gumarov at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, and then further refined her skills under Prof. Rudolf Buchbinder at the Basel High School of Music.

Irena Gulzarova has received various awards, including the “Best Debut of 2004” nomination by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the Presidential Scholarship of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2004) and the “Golden Talent” award from the Charitable Foundation “Russian Performing Art” (Moscow, 2004).

From 2020 to 2021, Irena Gulzarova organized a series of chamber concerts in Zurich.

From 2023, Irena Gulzarova took on the important role of President of the Association “Youth inspired” (“Jugend beflügelt”). This Association focuses on supporting young talents, which is the main mission of the organization. In addition, the Association actively works on organizing innovative projects in the field of music. One of the main priorities is to sensitize young people to classical music, cultivating an understanding and love for this art form in the younger generation.

In November 2023, Irena Gulzarova received a special invitation from the Uzbekistan government to perform at a reception in honour of the French President Emmanuel Macron.