Darko Kostovski, piano, North Macedonia/Germany

Born in 1978 in Skopje, Darko Kostovski starts learning piano with professors Aida Islam, Marija Pisinova and Boris Romanov at the Music and ballet school “Ilija Nikolovski-Luj”. At just 15 years old he becomes the youngest student at the Music Academy in Cologne, Germany in the class of renowned professor Arbo Valdma where he earns his graduate “Cum laude” diploma in piano performance. He has taken part in master classes with Alexander Lonquich, Pavel Gililov, Paolo Giacometti, Henri Sigfridsson, Rita Kinka, Kemal Gekic, Evgeni Koroliov and György Kurtag. He is the prize winner of numerous competitions including first prize at the competition in Taranto (Italy), the Yamaha prize in Weimar (Germany) and third prize at the Usti and Labem international piano competition (Czech Republic). During his studies he is also awarded the best foreign student prize.  As a soloist, Darko Kostovski has performed in France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Egypt and Germany, His performances include appearances at national and international festivals including “Klangbogen” in Vienna, Ohrid and Skopje summer festivals in his native Macedonia, Expo, “Euregio” and Beethoven Festival Bonn in Germany, where he has performed in the philharmonic halls in Cologne, Bonn, Skopje, at the home of Franz Schubert in Vienna, at the former Bundestag in Bonn, at the Versailles Palace in Paris, at the Opera in Cairo and the Expo2000 venue in Hannover. His orchestra engagements include the orchestra of Jeunesses Musicales Macedonia, the Macedonian Philharmonic, the Chamber orchestra of the Macedonian RTV, the Zagreb Soloists etc. His passion for chamber music is reflected in his work as duo “Dali” with violinist Lisa Maria Schumann. Kostovski has recorded for the Macedonian Radio and Television and for Radio Berlin Brandenbourg.