Bringing his magic to the stage of the Dubai Opera, Belgium’s very own illustrious pianist and one of the most accomplished musicians of his generation, Denis Kozhukhin, will make a magnificent return to the world-famous InClassica International Music Festival in April, presenting a solo recital as part of the iconic festival’s penultimate concert.
Dedicated to the 55th birthday of its renowned Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor, InClassica 2025 is scheduled to make its highly-anticipated comeback in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to celebrate its 14th annual edition. With the backdrop of the breathtaking Dubai Opera, the festival will feature 16 dazzling concerts from the 6th to the 21st of the month, bringing together acclaimed musicians like Denis Kozhukhin from all around the world to celebrate the timeless beauty of classical music. Across its groundbreaking run, the grand affair will feature no less than 14 internationally acclaimed soloists, two philharmonic orchestras, and five esteemed conductors showcasing pieces ranging from timeless compositions to contemporary offerings.
”I am very happy to be part of the InClassica Festival once again,” Belgian pianist Denis Kozhukhin shared. ”It’s a fantastic major musical event which brings classical music to people through wonderful concerts performed by top musicians of the world. The last time I participated, I presented a concert to the audience where many members of the public attended a classical music concert for the first time. Afterwards, some people told me they would be willing to return to a concert hall again. I believe if even one person wants to come again after such an event, it’s worth a lot, showing that InClassica is a real promoter of the beautiful world of music.”
Emphasising the festival’s transformative influence on classical music within Dubai and the wider GCC region, he added, ”From my side, I will always support InClassica with everything I can as I strongly believe they are doing something extremely important. Music and art unite people of different cultures, religions, and views, which is especially important in today’s reality. As for Dubai, I am absolutely in love with its vibrations. It is a city which combines huge respect for its historical roots with a completely futuristic perception of our civilisation. The festival’s venue, the Dubai Opera, is an important temple of culture where we will have the privilege of sharing the beauty of music with others.
Taking place on Sunday, 20th April 2025, aptly titled ‘Denis Kozhukhin – Resplendent Recital’, the virtuoso’s exclusive concert will present an eclectic programme capturing the innocence of childhood, opening with Sergei Prokofiev’s Music for Children, Op. 65, before moving on to Alexey Shor’s Piano Sonata No. 2, Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen, Op. 15 and concluding with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album, Op. 39.
”Being a father myself, I perceive music for children or related to a child’s life in a different way,”
He expressed.
”The pieces I perform either speak of a child’s day, dreams and losses or were actually written to be played by children themselves. The eyes of youth see the world in a very pure, unpolluted way, so I think it’s definitely not a coincidence that so many great composers have explored this playful theme.”
With this year’s festival honouring renowned contemporary artist and InClassica’s resident composer Alexey Shor, Denis Kozhukhin, who is a vocal fan of the maestro, applauded his modern compositions and the highly emotional musical style he adopts, saying,
”I’ve known Alexey Shor for several years now and had the pleasure to perform his pieces on many occasions. I really admire him and his work, as he is an outstanding mathematician who is not only creative in that field but also in the world of music, similar to great composers of the past who also had other interests. Alexander Borodin was a chemist, Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov was a marine, Charles Ives worked in the insurance world, etc. Talent finds many shapes and, in some cases, like Alexey Shor’s, simultaneously.”
He continued,
”His works appeal to both musicians and the public; they are highly emotional, and he also often touches the subject of a child’s life and memories. I wish him lots of new musical adventures and look forward to playing more of his works.”
As the much awaited celebration fast approaches, Kozhukhin reflected on what he hopes to achieve from the concert and his approach to bonding with an audience experiencing the world of classical music for the first time. ”As I did during my previous performance at InClassica, I will speak about the pieces before I perform. The audience needs to hear the artist’s real voice explaining what he is about to present. It’s important to create bridges between the musician and the audience, which is exactly what I always try to achieve in performances.”
For more information about the 2025 InClassica International Music Festival, Belgium pianist Denis Kozhukhin, Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor visit the official website at inclassica.com.
