A concert pianist who is rapidly gaining international acclaim as a passionately virtuosic performer, Andrey Gugnin has been described by Gramophone magazine as having an “extraordinarily versatile and agile technique which serves an often inspired musical imagination”, and the BBC Music Magazine Awards named him the winner of the Instrumental Award for his recording of Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes & Piano Sonatas 1 & 2. His name is likely familiar to Australians as the winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition, and it’s for the parent company of the competition, Piano+, that he is now touring in Australia, with recitals in Sydney and Melbourne, plus as musical director of the OutWest Piano Fest. Andrey has a great affinity with Australia and speaks gratefully about the time he has spent here, the challenges of piano competitions and how his career has continued to blossom since his 2016 win in Sydney. He also speaks honestly and with great pain about the invasion of Ukraine perpetrated by the country of his birth.