Pallavi Mahidhara

Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara made her orchestral debut at the age of 10, performing at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago.  She is the Second Prize winner and Young Audience Award winner of the 69th Geneva International Piano Competition, and of the VI International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Other awards include the Olivier Berggruen Prize at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Steinway Förderpreis in Germany, the Astral Artists National Auditions in the US, and on multiple occasions, the “Sobresaliente” Award from the hands of Queen Sofía of Spain.

Praised for her unique artistry and charismatic stage presence, she has appeared in solo and orchestral concerts across five continents, performing at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the Grand Hall of the Dimitri Shostakovich Philharmonia in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Upcoming performances in the 2023-2024 season include appearances in Europe and the US, and recitals with renowned chamber music colleagues, including two European tours with Curtis on Tour. 2022-2023 highlights include a solo recital at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, a recital with renowned cellist Gary Hoffman, chamber music performances at Lincoln Center with members of the New York Philharmonic, and orchestral performances around the US including with Eugene Symphony under Maestro Joseph Young, and Symphony Tacoma under Maestra Sarah Ioannides.  

Pallavi was selected by Sir András Schiff for his concert series, Building Bridges, a platform to support and promote young pianists.  Performances included solo recitals in Germany at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Beethoven Haus in Bonn, the Classeek Showroom in Aubonne, Switzerland, and the Centro Cultural de Belem in Lisbon, Portugal. The Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Essen released a live performance recording of her recital from October 2021.

Pallavi has performed at important festivals such as Marlboro Music, Verbier Festival, and Gstaad Menuhin Festival. She has given chamber music performances with renowned artists such as Diemut Poppen, Wolfram Christ, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Arnold Steinhardt, Peter Wiley, and Michael Rusinek, István Várdai, Pablo Ferrández, Josef Spacek, and Theo Fouchennert. She has performed under the direction of  Arjan Tien, Thomas Sanderling, Daniel Boico, Róbert Farkas, Daniel Abad Casanova, and Pablo Gonzalez, amongst others.

Pallavi is the executive producer, writer, and host of the “The Conscious Artist”, a new podcast designed to promote Mental Health Awareness for musicians, artists, and all human beings.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, and her Master’s Degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler.  She studied for several years with Dimitri Bashkirov at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía.  Aside from her private studio, Pallavi served as the Artistic Advisor and a Piano Professor for Young Artists Program at the Reina Sofia School in Madrid, Spain for several years, and as a Professor for Curtis’s Mentor Alumni Program.   

Pallavi is a Steinway Artist.