Roman Sosnin was born in 2003 in Ryazan. He began studying music at the Children’s Music School in the town of Korablino, Ryazan Region, in the class of Elena Biryukova. He went on to graduate from the Children’s Music School of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, as well as from the Gnessin College of Music under the Russian Academy of Music, where he studied under People's Artist of Russia, Professor Yuri Bogdanov. Since 2023, he has been a student at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music, continuing in the class of the same teacher. In 2018, he was named the winner of the First International Sergei Rachmaninoff Competition for Young Pianists (Moscow), and also became the first prize laureate and recipient of a special award — a named scholarship from Rodion Shchedrin — at the All-Russian Composition Competition “Kreutzer Sonata” (Moscow). In 2019, he was awarded second prize at the First International Piano Competition of Russian Music (Ryazan). In 2021, he won the gold medal at the 20th Youth Delphic Games of Russia (Perm). In 2025, Roman Sosnin became the third prize laureate at the 27th International Alexander Scriabin Piano Competition (Grosseto, Italy). He pursues an active concert career. He has performed solo in countries across Europe, in the United Kingdom, in Mexico, as well as on concert stages in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Since 2019, he has been a participant in the programs of the Saint Petersburg Music House.
 
Roman Sosnin: The Scriabin Competition became a new step in my professional journey. And it was a great joy for me to present in Italy a program composed primarily of works by Russian composers. In addition to Scriabin, I performed pieces by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Medtner — whose music, unfortunately, is still heard all too rarely, especially abroad. As with any competition, the preparation process was highly productive, and I am truly glad that I was able to convey on stage the artistic imagery and ideas embedded in the music. I believe that is the most important thing.
Scriabin’s music, to me, is like an entirely separate planet. His musical language and imaginative world are unlike anything else — impossible to confuse with that of any other composer. I was introduced to Scriabin’s work by my teacher, Yuri Alexandrovich Bogdanov, an outstanding interpreter of his music. Back when I was still in school, I listened to his performances. Naturally, we did a great deal of work together while preparing for the competition, comparing different interpretations and approaches. I believe that the key to performing Scriabin lies in having a special sensitivity to sound and a deep understanding of the composer’s personality and the grand scale of his ideas.
 
Saint Petersburg Music House (SPMH): What does the experience of participating in competitions give you?
Roman Sosnin: Taking part in competitions offers the opportunity to interact with fellow musicians from different countries, as well as with members of the jury. And ultimately, when you refine your performance to the level required for competition, it allows you to achieve your very best result. All of this contributes to professional growth.
 
SPMH: How did your journey as a musician begin? Who introduced you to music?
Roman Sosnin: I was born into a non-musical family and couldn’t even imagine that I would one day become a pianist. But I had a strong desire to play the piano, and my parents supported me in that. At music school, I met a wonderful teacher — Elena Viktorovna Biryukova. She introduced me to the world of music, and it was in her class that I realized I could no longer imagine my life without it. Elena Viktorovna still supports me to this day, follows my progress, and I am deeply grateful to her for everything.
 
SPMH: Did moving to Moscow, enrolling at the Gnessin School, and adjusting to the fast-paced rhythm of the metropolis have a strong impact on you?
Roman Sosnin: Without question, the move to Moscow had a significant impact on me. Once again, I would like to mention my teacher. Yuri Alexandrovich provided me with tremendous support in coping with the relocation and in adjusting to an entirely new way of life in a big city. I consider myself very fortunate to have become part of his musical family, as the atmosphere in his class creates the perfect conditions for artistic expression and for active engagement in both concert life and participation in competitions. His exceptional professionalism and tireless energy as a mentor were a powerful source of motivation for me, inspiring me to pursue new goals and achieve more. Many of my accomplishments — including my success at the Scriabin Competition — are, without a doubt, the result of my teacher’s guidance and influence.
 
SPMH: What role do the Saint Petersburg Music House’s projects play in your musical life?
Roman Sosnin: I have been familiar with the Music House for quite a long time now — since 2019. I still remember my very first visit to Saint Petersburg to take part in the Music House programs and to attend masterclasses with Dmitri Alexandrovich Bashkirov. I am deeply grateful to fate for the opportunity to meet and work with such a monumental and extraordinary figure. Those memories have stayed with me and will remain for a lifetime. Naturally, there have been many diverse and engaging concerts and projects — both in different cities across Russia and abroad. I am sincerely thankful to Sergei Pavlovich Roldugin for the invaluable experience I have gained through the concert platforms of the Saint Petersburg Music House. It was precisely through the Music House that I came to understand, in the fullest and most genuine sense, what an active concert life means for a musician. That realization, and the experience itself, are of tremendous value to me.
 
SPMH: On April 16, at the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, you will be performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto as part of the “Young Interpreters of Russia” program. What feelings does this work evoke in you?
Roman Sosnin: Grieg’s music, on the one hand, is harmonically and structurally quite simple. Yet at the same time, it is filled with extraordinary color and vivid sound imagery. In his Piano Concerto, Grieg brings together a range of contrasting characters — from playful, scherzo-like passages to elevated, lyrical ones. The music of this Concerto is a powerful source of inspiration for me, and with every performance I strive to discover something new within it. I sincerely hope to convey this rich palette of emotions and musical images to the audience during the concert on April 16.
 
SPMH: Do you have a favorite composer?
Roman Sosnin: I’m not fond of singling out just one particular composer as a favorite, but there are several whose music resonates especially deeply with me — Bach, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and Shostakovich. Of course, the piano repertoire is incredibly rich and diverse, and I constantly find myself discovering new names and new voices within it.
 
SPMH: At what age did you start composing music? And how does music come to you?
Roman Sosnin: I started composing music when I was around ten years old. The very first time I tried my hand at writing music was in Sochi, at the Sirius Educational Center. I was inspired by the teachers there and by the creative atmosphere that surrounded us. I believe that for every musician, it’s important to unlock and develop one’s own creative potential — and perhaps the most accessible and natural way to do that is through composing one’s own music. I enjoy writing in my free time — if you can call it that — simply when my heart tells me to. Most often, music is born out of a vivid impression or experience that I feel compelled to express in the language of notes. Composing also helps me gain a deeper understanding of how the great composers created their masterpieces — it gives me a way to explore and grasp the structure of musical works from the inside out.
 
SPMH: What piece earned you the First Prize at the All-Russian Composition Competition when you were fifteen? And how did you react to that victory?
Roman Sosnin: That prize was awarded to me for a piece I wrote called Tango for solo piano. I wanted to experiment with a genre that was a bit unusual — after all, waltzes and mazurkas are quite common, but tango is something you rarely come across in academic piano literature. I was drawn to the distinctive character of the dance, its unconventional rhythmic structures, and its emotional expressiveness. Of course, I didn’t expect that the jury — which included well-known contemporary composers — would rate my work so highly. After that victory, I felt a strong desire to keep composing and to continue developing myself in that direction.
 
SPMH: Who is your first listener?
Roman Sosnin: My first and most important listener is my family. Having loved ones by your side makes it much easier to go through anything — whether it’s concerts, competitions, victories, or setbacks. I am deeply grateful to the people who are around me.
 
Interview by Tatyana Mikhailova