Aleksey Sultanov was a Russian and American pianist, who held US citizenship since 2004. Born on August 7, 1969, in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, USSR, he was the son of famous musicians Fayzulhak Abdulhakovich Sultanov and Natalya Mikhailovna Pogorelova, and the grandson of the renowned Uzbek actress Zamira Khidoyatova.
Aleksey began his musical journey at a tender age of four, studying at the Republican School of Music under the guidance of Tamara Popovich. He made his stage debut at seven, performing Mozart's Concert No. 28 with the orchestra, and started concertizing from the age of eight.
Sultanov's talent and dedication earned him the Komsomol Prize of Uzbekistan at the age of 15. He then entered the Moscow Conservatory, studying under the renowned pianist Lev Naumov. In 1986, he participated in the VIII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where he was the favorite to win, despite suffering a broken finger just an hour before the draw.
Despite the setback, Sultanov decided to play, and the doctor administered anesthesia behind the scenes. The conservatory buzzed with excitement, and the audience applauded for a long time after his performances. However, the jury decided to remove him from the finale, citing concerns for his hand.
In 1989, Sultanov won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which led to a plethora of tour invitations. He left the Moscow Conservatory in 1990, after completing just three years, and moved to the United States in 1991.
Sultanov's career was marked by controversy, with two notable instances of scandal. In 1995, he refused to accept the second prize at the Chopin Piano Competition, which led to a stroke. In 1998, the jury of the Tchaikovsky International Competition rejected his performance of Prokofiev's Seventh Sonata, citing it as unnecessarily free and temperamental.
Tragedy struck Sultanov twice, with a second stroke in 2001 leaving him with paralysis of the left side of his body. Despite this, he continued to give charity concerts, with his wife, cellist Dace Abele, performing the parts of the left hand for him.
Aleksey Sultanov passed away on June 30, 2005, at the age of 35.
