Born in Leningrad in 1972, Arcadi Volodos studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and the Moscow Conservatory Music College; though piano wasn’t his first instrument, he went on to become one of the world’s most spirited pianists, producing colourful transcriptions of Bach and sentimental readings of Romantic greats like Brahms and Liszt. While excelling at the big names, he’s also worked to elevate 20th-century outsiders such as Frederic Mompou and Alexander Scriabin with his pensive, attuned performances.