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If you have speakers on your computer, you can hear online samples of some of his recordings here and here.
Acclaimed for the immediacy, sensitivity and depth of his interpretations, Sergei Babayan's
performances reveal an emotional intensity and bold energy, equipping him to explore stylistically
diverse repertoire. He is known for his innovative programming, often including modern works by
composers such as Lutoslawsky, Ligeti and Arvo Part, and extending the boundaries of mainstream
repertoire for which he continues to be acclaimed, excelling in Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and
Schumann as much as the Russian heritage of Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Prokofiev. His philosophy
that a recital should reveal a spiritual dimension, results in playing which sustains an intensity
which never fails to captivate. His performances of J S Bach, have always gained him both public
and critical acclaim, and he firmly believes that the natural evolution of the keyboard instrument
has led to today's modern piano which allows the music to be fully expressed in this modern
incarnation.
A student of such legendary teachers and musicians as Gornostayeva, Naumov, Pletnev and Vlasenko in the Moscow Conservatory, he was, however, not permitted to leave the country and be free to compete and study in the West. He was the first pianist from the former USSR who was able to compete without government sponsorship after the collapse of the system.
Immediately after his first trip outside of the USSR, he won consecutive first prizes in several major international competitions including the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition (formerly the Cleveland International Piano Competition) (1990), The Palm Beach International Piano Competition (1990), The Hamamatsu Piano Competition (1991), and the Scottish International Piano Competition (1992 ). He is also a Laureate of the Queen Elizabeth International Piano Competition, the Busoni International Piano Competition, and the Esther Honens International Competition in Calgary, Canada. Since that time he has had major engagements and concert tours throughout Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, South America and the USA.
His New York recitals at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Detroit Symphony met with huge critical acclaim, as have his many subsequent recital and concerto performances throughout all the major cities in the US. His concert schedule has included performances and broadcasts throughout major European cities and extensive tours of Japan. He appeared with recitals in such important venues as Salle Gaveau in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Warsaw Philharmonic, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Bolshoy Zal of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and countless others.
In 1996, Babayan founded the Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he is also an Artist-in-Residence. His students have included the pianist Grace Fong, now Director of Keyboard Studies at Chapman University Conservatory of Music.