Born to play piano
Denys Masliuk was born in the Ukrainian town of Kmelnitski. His parents, both professional musicians, soon recognised Denys’s musical talent. After acquiring a grounding in piano performance in his native country, he continued his education at the Music Lyceum of the Academy of Music in Minsk, Belarus.
As a student in Minsk he performed numerous times with the national symphony orchestras of Belarus and Ukraine. His virtuosity and his unusually mature and in-depth interpretation also caught the attention of competition judges. He won first prize at the Balis Dvarionas International Competition in Lithuania, second prize at the Vladimir Krajnev International Competition in Ukraine, and second prize at the Irina Zwetajeva International Competition in Belarus.
He completed his studies at the Academy of Music in Minsk with distinction in 2001, going on to win a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of Belarus for his musical achievements. He continued his studies at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, giving numerous commanding performances in Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Solingen, Stuttgart, Lindau, Herrenchimsee, Bad Wörishofen, Öschelbronn, Freiburg, Leipzig, Potsdam and Munich. He also took part in a number of masterclasses given by such renowned professors as K. H. Kämmerling, I. Lazsko, K. Bogino and V. Margulis.
In 2005 Masliuk won two international competitions in Italy: the Marco Fortini Competition in Bologna in June and the San Nicolo di Bari Competition in Bari in December. Winning both competitions led to contracts for concert seasons in Italy in subsequent years.
In February 2009 he won third prize at the Alexander Scriabin International Competition in Grosseto, Italy.
He has been a jury member at the Pietro Argento International Piano Competition, and was invited to be a jury member at the San Nicola di Bari Competition.
Denys Masliuk has been living in Slovenia for several years and works as a professor of piano at the Grammar School of the Arts in Koper. Many of his pupils have gone on to win national and international competitions, and he is adept at passing his knowledge and experience on to younger generations at summer schools, seminars and masterclasses.
His brilliant virtuosity, in-depth interpretation and strongly individual style have thrilled audiences in Slovenia and elsewhere, as shown by the excellent reviews he receives for his work. He has given performances in Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Croatia and the Netherlands, and has appeared at all major concert halls in Slovenia, including: the Slovenian Philharmonic in Ljubljana, Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana, Nova Gorica Cultural Centre and Kosovelov Dom Sežana. His recitals have been recorded by the Slovenian national broadcaster.
Denys Masliuk also dedicates a lot of his time to composing. Through his own works he shows an exceptional knowledge and awareness of the range of his instrument, and they frequently appear as delightful additions to his recitals of the classical piano repertoire.
Denys Masliuk has gained a reputation as an extremely gifted young pianist with ‘… iron technique, strong individuality, and an extraordinary feeling for interpretation …’