Fort Collins, CO – Vitaly Starikov, recently crowned the 2025 Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist, will perform during the International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival (the Odyssiad®), August 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Organ Recital Hall, University Center for the Arts, Colorado State University.
Born into a family of musicians, Starikov (Israel/Russia) attended Ural Musical School for Gifted Children in his native Yekaterinburg at age 7. He studied with Vera Gornostayeva at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and earned his bachelor’s degree at the Conservatory and then his master’s degree, under the tutelage of Eliso Virsaladze. Vitaly is now at the Yale School of Music, pursuing an artist diploma under Boris Berman and is a laureate of the Queen Elisabeth and Sydney International Competitions. Recital and chamber music appearances have taken him around the world, with highlights including Sydney Opera House, Queen Elisabeth Hall, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He holds a strong commitment to new music and has won accolades for his performances of it, including at the Queen Elisabeth (Belgium), Jaen (Spain), and Taneyev (Russia) international competitions. “I want to present works that reflect not only tradition but also contemporary life, offering new perspectives on familiar music and introducing lesser-known pieces to wider audiences.”
The Odyssiad® takes place August 4 – 8, 2025 & brings together global competitors & internationally renowned musicians for a week-long, musically rich, creative, and exciting classical piano competition and festival. Competitors, performers, judges and audience members gather to celebrate their mutual love for classical piano. Some of the greatest talents of this generation compete in the LIVE Semifinal and Final Rounds of the Odyssiad® Competition – FREE & OPEN to the public – during the Olympic-styled competition. Finalists compete in the Solo and/or Concerto Divisions for cash prizes and the opportunity to perform with the Boulder Symphony, Devin Patrick Hughes conducting, and the Fort Collins Health & Wellness Community Orchestra.
Starikov joins a dynamic series of concerts planned for the week featuring some of the most distinguished and trailblazing keyboard virtuosos and specialists of our time, including several in the pantheon of all-time great pianists: A special evening of chamber music with Concert Violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, Grammy Award-winning Cellist Zuill Bailey, & Horowitz Gold Medal Pianist Bryan Wallick; Yaron Kohlberg, Concert pianist, President and CEO of Piano Cleveland and the Cleveland International Piano Competition); Dongni Xie, 2017 Odyssiad® Gold Medalist; Charlotte Hu, Founder and Director of the Philadelphia Young Pianist Academy & Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory – Berklee; and Vitaly Starikov, 2025 Cliburn Silver Medalist. Additional guest artists include the legendary Russian pianist and teacher, Mikhail Voskresensky, former Head of the Piano Faculty at the Moscow Conservatory.
A number of events throughout the week will engage and connect the Fort Collins community including:
Monday, August 4 – 8 : LIVE Semifinal & Final Rounds: All Solo and Concerto Division Rounds
Semifinalists compete for a spot in the final round during fierce competition. Finalists battle for Gold, Silver & Bronze medals & cash prizes during the Final rounds of the Odyssiad® competition. The competition is free & open to the public. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Organ Recital Hall, Runyan Music Hall.
These incredible Final Round performances will be live streamed on www.odyssiad.com. For full details & the complete schedule, visit www.odyssiad.com.
August 4 – 8: Headline Performances
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August 4, 7:30 PM – Chamber Music with Piano: Violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou (Concert Violinist), Cellist Zuill Bailey (Grammy award-winning Cellist), and Brian Wallick (Horowitz Gold Medal Pianist). Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts, Colorado State University.
August 6, 7:30 PM– Yaron Kohlberg (World-renowned pianist, Steinway artist, and President and CEO of Piano Cleveland and the Cleveland International Piano Competition). Organ Recital Hall, University Center for the Arts, Colorado State University.
August 7, 7:30 PM –Two concerts for the price of one! Dongni Xie – Solo Piano – 7:30 PM, (2017 Odyssiad® Gold Medalist) and Charlotte Hu – Solo Piano – 8:30 PM (Founder and Director of the Philadelphia Young Pianist Academy & Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory – Berklee). Organ Recital Hall, University Center for the Arts, Colorado State University.
August 8, 7:30 PM – Vitaly Starikov, Piano. Fresh from winning Silver at the 2025 Cliburn International Piano Competition, Fort Worth, Texas. Organ Recital Hall, University Center for the Arts, Colorado State University.
The Odyssiad® is the largest and most important international competition and festival for pianists in the state of Colorado and is recognized around the U.S. and abroad. For more information on Odyssiad® performances, competitive events, festival sessions & presentations, or how to get involved, please visit www.odyssiad.com
To purchase tickets to Evening Concerts, please visit csuartstickets.com
Adults: $38 pp; Students: $17 pp; Youth 12 & Under – FREE
About the International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival, U.S.A. (the Odyssiad®) – The Odyssiad® is dedicated to promoting new generations of young keyboard artists through an internationally linked competition and festival. The Odyssiad® extends its reach through Odyssiad® in the Community (OTC), free educationally infused concerts featuring internationally acclaimed pianists and the festival’s competitors and winners. The additional programming enhances the artistic vitality of Fort Collins and ensures year-round access to live piano music for all demographics. With the exception of a small source of part-time contract support, the Odyssiad® is entirely managed and produced by a dedicated team of volunteers.