I was born into a musical family, my mum teaches piano and my dad plays and teaches the dombra, which is Kazakhstan’s national instrument. The piano was my choice straight away.

Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
I was born into a musical family, my mum teaches piano and my dad plays and teaches the dombra, which is Kazakhstan’s national instrument. The piano was my choice straight away.
There was no piano in the house when I was a small child, but whenever we visited my mother’s sister, a talented and accomplished amateur pianist, I was transfixed by the sound of her playing and longed to be able to do it too. And at the age of ten, I heard a recording of Dinu Lipatti playing Chopin and never looked back.
I think there are certain pieces I perform better now simply because I’ve had some life experiences which have definitely affected how I express myself.