Kira Ratner

Pianist Kira Ratner, born into a St. Petersburg family with a rich musical heritage, received her first piano lessons from her mother at the age of five and gave her first public performance at seven. She studied at the specialist music school of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory and later at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, graduating with distinction.

Following her performance diplomas in 1997, she was appointed to the faculty of the Hochschule für Musik Köln, and in 2001 also began teaching at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.

Chamber music lies at the heart of her artistic work. She has been awarded prizes as best accompanist at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Competition in Berlin and at the International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen. Since her studies, she has been widely in demand as a chamber music partner and has performed to critical acclaim across Europe and beyond. Her collaboration with violinist Saschko Gawriloff was described in the German press as “a first-class collaboration, perfect harmony that enchants the audience.”

Kira Ratner performs regularly throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and appears at festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. She is recognised for her refined musical sensitivity, technical assurance, and exceptional responsiveness in ensemble playing.

Her work has been documented in numerous radio and television recordings, including broadcasts by ARD, WDR, and NDR in Germany, ORF in Austria, Radio Classique in France, and Russian broadcasters. Alongside her concert activity, she has collaborated in recordings with artists such as Saschko Gawriloff, Natasha Korsakova, Michael Faust, Françoise Groben, Julia Polziehn, and Monique Mead.