Daniel Kharitonov – Third Prize

Which people would you invite as guests to your dream dinner party?

I would like to invite Martha Argerich. She is an amazing pianist, a beautiful woman and a wonderful person.

What is your favorite meal?

I like Wiener Schnitzel!

Do you have a favorite motto or proverb that you live your life by?

"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield!"

Which person or people inspire you the most?

I was lucky to study at the Central Music School at the age of six. My school has trained the entire pleiad of phenomenal musicians like V. Spivakov, M. Lebenzon, A. Kats, G. Rozhdestvensky, V. Ashkenazy, V. Krainev, N. Petrov, V. Tretiakov, V. Ovchinnikov, M. Pletnev, D. Matsuev, N. Lugansky and many others. Undoubtedly, they inspire me by their example.

If you were 80 years old, what advice would you give to young people today?

Perfect age! I would advise to my children, or even grandchildren: "Appreciate every moment of your life, don’t waste your time in vain."

What would you like people to say about you?

I would only hope people were proud of me!

How do you overcome the stage fright? / What is your ritual before going on stage?

I feel extraordinary emotional rise before going on stage. You don’t need to overcome the stage fright because it is courage and adrenaline, all of which you need being on stage.

When you perform... who are you playing for?

Of course, I perform for my audience in the hall.

What job would you least like to do?

I respect all professions. After all, if a profession exists, it is necessary to someone - and someone needs to do the job.

Is there a joke about musicians that you would like to share with us?

It's not a secret that musicians are very funny people who love all kinds of joke. For example, David Oistrakh was joking always very friendly. He was very fond of pâté, in general he liked to eat. His wife was to ensure that he didn't eat a lot at home. But he didn’t disdain street pâté for five cents, despite the extreme danger for health. When someone said: "David Fedorovich, why do you eat such bad pâté?". He replied: "That doesn't exist, bad patés. Pâtés are either good or very good."

What's the "most played" non-classical track on your phone?

Barcelona – Freddie Mercury. It's very symbolic song for me, I'm a big fan of the football club "Barcelona."

You are on a desert island and can bring only 3 items, what do you bring?

Piano, boat and telescope.

What is your favorite noise/sound? What is the most annoying noise for you?

I like tiger purring (My Zodiac sign is the Tiger). They make a velvet sound "urrf-urrf" in a low voice. Annoying noise – sound of fork scratching a plate.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Anywhere in the world where there is a beautiful grand piano at home!

What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word Tchaikovsky?

Piano Concerto No. 1.

What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word competition?

The Tchaikovsky Competition.