Ekaterina Zhemaitis & Polina Kulikova

The piano duo Ekaterina Zhemaitis & Polina Kulikova was formed at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the class of Alexander Bonduryansky. A decisive influence on the duo’s artistic development came through their collaboration with Maxim Puryzhinsky, followed by further studies at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany under Evgeny Sinaiski.

The duo has received international recognition at several prestigious competitions, including First Prize and five Special Prizes at the VI. International Piano Duo Competition in Białystok (Poland), First Prize at the V. International Taneyev Chamber Music Competition (Kaluga, Russia), and Third Prize at the XX. International Schubert Competition for Piano Duos (Jeseník, Czech Republic).

Ekaterina Zhemaitis and Polina Kulikova have performed in major concert venues such as the Great and Small Halls of the Moscow Conservatory and the Small Hall of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, and they appear regularly on concert stages throughout Europe and the United States.

In 2025, the duo recorded their debut album for the German label Genuin in the Mendelssohn-Saal of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Alongside the classical repertoire, they are deeply engaged with contemporary music and have given first performances of several new works. Their artistic focus lies in creating conceptual programmes through which they seek to articulate an individual voice and a personal perspective on the repertoire.

Picture: Maria Vorobyova