Biography
Mikhail Krasnenker, born in Moscow in 2001, began his musical journey at the renowned Gnessin School of Music under the mentorship of Tatiana Zelikman. Since 2018, he has pursued advanced studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts with Konstantin Lifschitz, completing his Master Soloist degree in 2024.
Since 2025, Mikhail has also been pursuing parallel studies in Interpretation of New Piano Music with Alfonso Gómez at the University of Music Freiburg, as well as a Konzertexamen program with Severin von Eckardstein at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.
© Philipp Schmidlin
Mikhail has showcased his talents at prestigious festivals and competitions, such as the Winteravonden aan de Amstel Festival, Young Pianist of the North Competition, Stars at Rhine Festival, AEVEA Piano Prize, Edwin Fischer Competition, and Schenk Stiftung Competition.
His artistic achievements have been recognized by several international music organizations, including the International Piano Foundation Theo and Petra Lieven, LYRA Stiftung, Foundation Clavarte, and Hella Siegrist Scholarship for Excellence in Piano.
In 2025, Mikhail was selected as one of the first thirteen recipients of the newly established Pavel Kushnir Scholarship. The program honors the memory of Russian pianist and activist Pavel Kushnir, who died in a Russian prison in 2024, and supports emerging musicians from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
© Finn Mannion
Throughout his career, Mikhail has participated in masterclasses with prominent musicians like Alexei Volodin, Daniil Trifonov, Davide Cabassi, Jean-Marc Luisada, Petras Geniusas, Benjamin Moser and Esther Yellin.
He performs both as a soloist and chamber musician across Switzerland, Germany, and other European countries. In 2023, he made his debut at the KKL with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andreas Patrik Hansson.
Also in 2023, Mikhail’s debut CD, featuring piano sonatas by Paul Hindemith, was released by the OnClassical label, available to listen to on Spotify and other streaming platforms.