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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January 2023

A Family Affair

2023 opened with a special family affair in Chemnitz: ensemble01 dedicated an evening at the Galerie Morgner to the music of Alissa as well as her parents, Elena Firsova and Dmitri Smirnov. Alissa is looking forward to continue their collaboration in 2025, when Chemnitz will be European Capital of Culture.

January 2023

Echoes of the Unheard

Alissa is looking forward to the realisation of a concert in May, (postponed due to the pandemic) in memory of her father, Dmitri Smirnov: Echoes of the Unheard will celebrate music of her parents as well as their mentor, Philip Herschkowitz, in collaboration with Elisabeth Leonskaja and exil.arte, in Vienna’s beautiful historic Ehrbar Palace

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COMPOSITIONS

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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)