Alissa Firsova is a British-Russian pianist, composer and conductor. She made her Wigmore Hall and Proms debuts in 2009 and has enjoyed collaborations with Camerata RCO, Daniel Rowland, Tim Hugh, Andrew Marriner, Mark Padmore and many others.
Since winning the BBC Proms Young Composer Competition in 2001, she received three commissions for the Proms, writing for the Royal Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic and Southbank Sinfonia together with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Her music was also performed by the NTO Mannheim, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Netherlands Blazer Ensemble, Dante and Tippett quartets, Henning Kraggerud, Imogen Cooper and conductors, Andrew Litton, Mark Wigglesworth, Alexander Soddy, Leo McFall and Jessica Cottis, to name a few.
Alissa recorded her debut solo piano (Russian Émigrés) and composer portrait (Fantasy) CD’s on Vivat and her Stabat Mater, recorded by The Sixteen, was featured in Gramophone’s Top 10 Compositions by Women. Her recital for the Amsterdam Piano Series, including her transcription of Mahler’s Adagietto, was released on Vinyl by Gutman Records in 2020. She enjoyed her triple debut with the English Chamber Orchestra as conductor, composer and pianist in 2013 in the Cadogan Hall and is currently Artistic Director of the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival.
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Biography
Reviews
High res images
Concerts
Viennese Premiere of Stabat Mater
Xenia Preisenberger, conductor
Wiener Motettenchor
- Concert
- St. Othmar Mödling
Viennese Premiere of Stabat Mater
Xenia Preisenberger, conductor
Wiener Motettenchor
- Concert
- St. Gertrud Vienna
French Music – Evenings of Nations Festival in Kolberg, Poland
Marin Marais 5 old dances
Faure Après un rêve & Sicielienne
Debussy Beau Soir
Ravel 2nd Violin Sonata & Tzigane
Marta Kowalczyk, violin
Daniel Palmizio, viola
Alissa Firsova, piano
- Concert
- Cultural Centre Herbert, Kolberg
Czech Music – Evenings of Nations Festival in Kolberg, Poland
Dvořák Silent Woods, Humoresque & Negro Spritual
Janáček Pohádka
Smetana My Homeland 2 Pieces
Suk Elegy
Marta Kowalczyk, violin
Daniel Palmizio, viola
Alissa Firsova, piano
- Concert
- Cultural Centre Herbert, Kolberg
Joseph Haas in Reimlingen, Ries
Joseph Haas Violin Sonatinas & Song Cycles
Alessia Schumacher, soprano
Ludmila Pavlová, violin
Alissa Firsova, piano
- Concert
- Kulturetage Schloss Reimlingen
German Premiere of Bergen’s Bonfire in Brandenburg
Sebastian Weigle, conductor
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt
- Concert
- Messehalle Frankfurt Oder
German Premiere of Bergen’s Bonfire in Brandenburg
Sebastian Weigle, conductor
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt
- Concert
- Nikolaisaal Potsdam
Albums
Lugubre Gondola
Chopin, Bartók, Liszt, Wagner/Liszt, Mahler/Firsova, Beethoven
Fantasy – Alissa Firsova
Tippett Quartet, Mark van de Wiel clarinet, Tim Hugh cello, Ellie Laugharne soprano, Nicholas Crawley bass, Simon Mulligan piano, Alissa Firsova piano
Russian Visions
20th-Century Music for Cello & Piano
Bozidar Vukotic, cello - Alissa Firsova, piano
Songs of the World
Track 15, 16, 17. Alissa Firsova, Psappha, Stepen Barlow, Daisy Brown.
News
Stabat Mater in Vienna
Alissa is overjoyed that her music is travelling to the most musical city in the world for the very first time! Her Stabat Mater will be performed by the Wiener Motettenchor, along with Bach and Reger, conducted by Xenia Preisenberger on 21st & 22nd March. The Sixteen recorded Alissa's Stabat Mater in 2014 and since then it is played often on the radio and is performed by choirs all over the world. You can hear it here.
David Cohen & Alissa Firsova
Alissa was delighted to team up with star cellist David Cohen last Autumn for concerts in Amsterdam, London, Oxford & Munich. You can now enjoy some of their performances on a Youtube playlist filmed by Apple & Biscuit Recordings, with music by Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Pärt & Paganini.
And watch out for their recording of Rachmaninoff Sonata coming out soon on Gutman Records, live from the Amsterdam Piano Series. Also on the cards is a new piano trio for Gäetane Prouvost and David Cohen for a premiere near Paris in the Autumn! (Photo by Hans van der Woerd)
German premiere Bergen’s Bonfire
Following the Proms premiere of Alissa’s Bergen’s Bonfire for the Bergen Philharmonic’s 250th Anniversary in 2015, the orchestral tone-poem, based on Ragnarok, will see its German premiere next season in Brandenburg. Sebastian Weigle will conduct the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt on 12th and 13th June 2026.
Media
Click on the image to play the video.
Alissa Firsova, Fantasy
Alissa Firsova, Russian Émigrés
Mahler Adagietto, Alissa Firsova piano
Alissa Firsova, Songs of the World
Shostakovich Trio No. 2 Mvts 3 & 4
Elena Firsova, Violin Concerto
COMPOSITIONS
Click on the titles for more details.
Op.1 – Les Pavots for Solo Piano
Op.2 – Strength Through Joy for Symphony Orchestra
Op.3 – Three Pieces for cello and piano
Op.4 – The Entire City for String Quintet
Op.5 – I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in heaven for Wind and String Ensemble
Op.6 – Rhapsody for Solo Violin
Op.7 – Lyrisches Stuck for Viola and Piano
Op.8 – Prophet for Mixed Chorus
Op.9 – ‘Expressions’ Eternity & Awaiting for clarinet and piano / Victory for bass clarinet solo
Op.10 – Loss for Clarinet and String Quartet
Op.11 – The Endless Corridor for Piano
Op.12 – Birth of Remembrance for Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Cello
Op.13 – Lune Rouge for Piano
Op.14 – Age of Reason for String Quartet
Op.15 – Celebration for Clarinet, Flute, Violin and Cello
Op.16 – Tamaris for two cellos
Op.17 – Bluebells for piano solo, clarinet, horn, string quartet and percussion (3rd mov of Family Concerto, In memory of Dmitri Shostakovich – family project)
Op.18 – Paradiso for String Quartet (3rd mov of Divine Comedy – family project)
Op.19 – Freedom (Clarinet Concerto)
Op.20 – Zhivago Songs to Boris Pasternak’s poems for voice and piano
Op.21 – Moonlight over the Sea based on Munch’s painting for Solo Violin
Op.22 – Chateau de Canisy for Voice and Piano
Op.23 – Souvenir Melancolique for Clarinet and Horn
Bach Allegro for large symphony orchestra (transcription of the 3rd mov of Bach’s 3rd Viola da Gamba Sonata BWV 1029)
Op.24 – Kubla Khan for tenor, bayan, violin and cello (5th mov of family project)
Op.25 – Gallo Variations for chamber orchestra
Op.26 – Unity for bass-baritone and piano
Op.27 – Serenade for Strings for string orchestra
Op.28 – Paradisi Gloria for SATB choir a cappella
Op.29 – Fantasy for cello and piano
Op.30 – Stabat Mater for SATB choir a cappella
Op.31 – Bergen’s Bonfire for Symphony Orchestra
Op.32 – Tree of Hope for 4 Harps
Op.33 – Le Soleil de Conques for 2 solo cellos and string orchestra
Op.34 – Bride of the Wind for piano-duet
Op.35 – Asiago Concerto for piano trio and chamber orchestra
Op.36 – Tennyson Fantasy Op. 36 for string quartet
Op.37 – Ascent to Freedom & In search of…Paradise for soprano and piano
Op.38 – Die Windsbraut for symphony orchestra
Op.39 – Spring Haiku for soprano and piano (part of family cycle)
Op.40 – If a thing loves, it is infinite… for string quartet
Op.41 – The Good Morrow for choir a cappella
Op.42 – Algarvia for violin and piano
Op.43 – Red Fox for choir and symphony orchestra
Op.44 – Songs of the World for soprano and ensemble
Op.45 – Pastorale for piano solo
Op.46 – To Spring for choir and orchestra
Op.47 – Lilacs for soprano and piano
Op.48 – Te amo for mezzo-soprano and piano
Op.49 – Reunion for clarinet, cello and piano
Op.50 – Stages for trumpet and strings
Op. 51 – Spell of Creation – A Symphony in Four Songs for contralto and symphony orchestra
Contact
For bookings, information, copies of the scores and parts, please send a message.