Philip Kopachevsky was born in Moscow in 1990. His journey in music began at the Central Music School of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory under the guidance of Kira Shashkina. In 2013, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, studying under the People's Artist of the RSFSR, Professor Sergey Dorensky. At the age of 15, he achieved recognition as the Laureate of the III Prize and recipient of a special prize at the 10th International Piano Competition dedicated to F. Schubert in Germany. Just a year later, he emerged as the winner of the International Competition in Memory of Vera Lotar-Shevchenko in Novosibirsk, also receiving a special prize from Yamaha at the XV International Jose Iturbi Piano Competition in Spain. In 2019, Philip Kopachevsky was honored with the title of "Best Participant of the Second Round" at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He has successfully toured in Russia and internationally, captivating audiences in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Greece, and Poland. He has performed with leading Russian and international orchestras. He has had the privilege of sharing the stage with illustrious musicians such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, and Maxim Vengerov. Since 2010, Philip has served as a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. He recorded a piano album of Frédéric Chopin's compositions upon the request of a Japanese television company. Since 2013, he has been a participant in programs at the St. Petersburg Music House.
 
Philip Kopachevsky: Despite both of my parents being musicians (my dad is a flutist, and my mom is a violinist), my journey in music didn't follow a straightforward path. From the ages of 4 to 6, I lived in Brazil with my parents, where my dad temporarily went to teach and play in a woodwind quintet. When I returned to Moscow at the age of 6, my grandmother, without consulting anyone, took me to the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory, where I enrolled in a flute class while simultaneously studying piano. To be honest, my flute lessons didn't go well for me, and in the second grade, I was transferred to a special piano class under the guidance of Kirа Aleksandrovna Shashkina. The flute is a wonderful instrument, but I always had a more polyphonic way of thinking, and I craved the complexity of multiple voices. In that sense, the piano felt much closer to my heart.
I vividly remember my first solo concert in the city of Veliky Novgorod when I was 9 years old. I performed Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood" and Haydn's D Major Concerto. It was a nerve-wracking experience. From a young age, I always felt a tremendous sense of responsibility when on stage. I would get nervous, but nerves and excitement are an integral part of the concert life. You could say it's the "entrance fee" for it. This is especially true for competitions, which I never particularly enjoyed. Yes, competitions can be a great motivator for work and self-improvement, but music is a highly subjective art. Victories certainly brought me joy, but not much more. I derive much more pleasure from the concert stage itself.
 
Saint Petersburg Music House (SPMH): Teacher authority and personal freedom - is it always possible to find a compromise?
Philip Kopachevsky: In my opinion, the primary task of a teacher is to teach the student to think for themselves, to unlock their personal potential, and to develop the ability to solve musical and artistic challenges independently. After all, lessons are just lessons, but ultimately, a musician takes the stage alone, without any assistance. By the way, starting this year, I am working as an assistant to Professor Vladimir Pavlovich Ovchinnikov at the Moscow Conservatory. It's a new stage for me, and I find pedagogical work very interesting.
 
SPMH: What lessons/advice/rules from your teachers are still relevant to you today? 
Philip Kopachevsky: It's challenging to pinpoint just one thing. I've been surrounded by an incredible number of teachers, and now conductors, chamber ensemble partners, each with their unique insights. Moreover, I always seek a rational approach, even if I don't agree with something because therein lies the pleasure – that each concert in partnership with a new musician on stage is unique. I never try to come to a rehearsal with my own dogma; I enjoy solving tasks in different ways. I will never forget my collaboration with Mstislav Rostropovich; I was a scholarship holder of his foundation for a long time, and we played Chopin's Second Concerto, which left an unforgettable impression. Vladimir Spivakov is a person who taught me a lot, every concert with him is a great pleasure and always a new experience. I won't be able to mention everyone I've learned from because in music, it's an ongoing, unstoppable process.
 
SPMH: With which composer do you feel absolutely "in tune"?
Philip Kopachevsky: The answer will be universal and cliché: I'm in tune with the composer I'm playing at the moment. I can't and don't want to single out anyone because it's an immense world, and a billion lifetimes wouldn't be enough to play everything I'd like to.
 
SPMH: What do you find closer to your heart: chamber performance or playing with an orchestra?
Philip Kopachevsky: These are two different worlds existing in the same universe, and both are absolutely wonderful.
 
SPMH: How do you prepare yourself for a performance? What do you need for comfort and harmony on stage?
Philip Kopachevsky: I don't have universal solutions. Often, I have to arrive on the day of the concert, get little sleep, but one must be prepared for anything. In today's concert life, mobility is very important, the ability to learn quickly, to rehearse quickly, and endurance is crucial, so the most important thing is sleep. Of course, it's wonderful to have a calm, measured day before the concert, although sometimes in a stressful situation on stage, something new and unusual is born.
 
SPMH: This year marks 10 years of your collaboration with the Saint Petersburg Music House. What stands out the most for you during these years?
Philip Kopachevsky: Over these years, there have been incredibly many interesting experiences. For me, participating in projects at the Saint Petersburg Music House has always been a great honor and responsibility. I've performed numerous solo and chamber programs with my wonderful colleagues like Pavel Milyukov, Alexander Ramm, and many other outstanding musicians. I've had concerts with orchestras at the Saint Petersburg Capella and in Kislovodsk. It's been a huge learning experience and a wonderful motivation because, for a musician, taking the stage is the most important thing, and it's great that the Saint Petersburg Music House provides this opportunity to young artists.
 
SPMH: "Happy is the one who can be both a composer and a performer," - do you agree with Chopin? Do these two concepts enhance the state of happiness? Do you have a desire to compose?
Philip Kopachevsky: I composed a lot in my childhood, tried to write an opera, and even performed it on Rostropovich's cruise ship when we traveled with concerts along the Volga River. He praised my creativity and suggested I write a string quartet, which I did, but that's where it stopped for now. I was 15 years old, and my concert life was less hectic, but then I focused on performing. I can't quite imagine how to combine both now. Moreover, I have compositional ideas, but I lack the experience and professionalism, which requires learning.
 
SPMH: In which genres do you not see yourself as a performer? 
Philip Kopachevsky: I don't limit myself and try to find a rational approach in any music. I'm open to different proposals and experiments. I play music from various genres and eras. Sometimes, something feels more challenging, something easier, something resonates more, something less, but during the work, this can change many times. Music is an art in time, it's always a mystery, and there can be multiple answers to it.
 
Interview by Tatiana Mikhailova