Born in St. Petersburg in 1972, ARCADI VOLODOS first studied voice and conducting, but did not seriously pursue the piano until 1987 at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Since making his New York debut in 1996, Volodos has been extolled by critics as "a genius of the piano." His performances as a recitalist and concerto soloist, as well as his debut recording for Sony Classical, have received unanimous acclaim from audiences and critics alike. As part of the 1998/1999 season, Volodos made his now historic Carnegie Hall recital debut, recorded by Sony Classical and released as Arcadi Volodos Live at Carnegie Hall. He has appeared with numerous world-class orchestra overseas and in the United States, and has given solo recital performances in London, Paris, Munich, Milan, Madrid and Copenhagen. In addition, he has toured with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy and the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. Volodos’ engagements for the 2000/2001 season include performances with the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Minnesota Orchestras, as well as the Israel and Oslo Philharmonics, and a US recital tour, culminating in a return to Carnegie Hall. His most recent recording on the Sony Classical label is a disk of music by Rachmaninoff with James Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic.