The recording career of Russian pianist and composer Daniil Trifonov initially focused on the music of Frédéric Chopin. His first three albums, recorded in 2010 and released in 2011, exclusively consisted of works of Chopin: the first album, Daniil Trifonov plays Frédéric Chopin, consisting of music performed live in recitals in Italy, was released by Decca Records in April; his second album, Chopin: Mazurki; Konzert, containing performances from the 16th Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw (where he won the third prize), was released in May; and finally, his third album, Chopin, a studio recording, was released in July. Trifonov's next album, Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, released in 2012, included a performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.
In February 2013, Trifonov signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon (DG). His first album for DG, The Carnegie Recital, is a live recording of a recital he had given in Carnegie Hall that month. Other recitals and chamber music concerts were recorded at festivals such as those of Verbier and Lockenhaus, resulting in a few works, including Mieczysław Weinberg's Sonatina in a performance with Gidon Kremer, being issued on other labels courtesy of DG. Trifonov's second album for DG, Rachmaninov Variations, was devoted to music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and included the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Chopin and Corelli solo piano variations, and Rachmaniana, one of his own piano compositions which he wrote during his first year as a student of the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2009–10. This album was issued mid-2015. Soon after, a double DVD with two films directed by Christopher Nupen was released. The first DVD included a documentary which featured Trifonov performing excerpts of his own Piano Concerto in E-flat minor; the other DVD featured a live recital interspersed with interviews.
Trifonov's 2016 album for DG, Transcendental, consisting of the complete piano études of Franz Liszt, was a major success. It reached the number one position in the Specialist Classical Albums Chart in the United Kingdom in October 2016, was designated one of "The Best Classical Music Recordings of 2016" by The New York Times, and won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. In 2016, Trifonov also received Gramophones Artist of the Year Award. In 2017, Trifonov released three albums with DG: an album consisting of piano trios by Rachmaninoff performed with Gidon Kremer and Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė; Chopin Evocations, an album with music written by or in homage of Chopin; and an album with chamber music by Franz Schubert performed with such artists as Anne-Sophie Mutter. Trifonov then recorded two further albums dedicated to Rachmaninoff, Destination Rachmaninov • Departure and Destination Rachmaninov • Arrival, which were released in 2018 and 2019 respectively; the albums comprise the composer's four piano concertos with Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, in addition to J.S. Bach's Partita for violin solo No. 3 in E major (BWV 1006) arranged for piano solo by Rachmaninoff and Trifonov's own transcriptions for piano solo of Vocalise (Op. 34 No. 14) and The Silver Sleigh Bells (first movement of The Bells, Op. 35).
Trifonov has earned considerable commercial and critical success. In addition to earning a Grammy for Transcendental, he earned Grammy nominations for Rachmaninov Variations and The Carnegie Recital. In 2016, Trifonov received the Gramophone Classical Music Awards' Artist of the Year Award. His successes also include appearances on international record chart rankings, including eight albums that have ranked on the Billboard Top Classical Album chart.
Albums
Studio albums +TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsAUS Cl."ARIA Core Classical Albums Chart" . ARIA Charts. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.BEL (Fl)"Discografie Daniil Trifonov" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018.BEL (Fl) Cl.Various sources for Ultratop Flanders Classical Albums peaks: Rachmaninov Variations: "Daniil Trifonov / The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Rachmaninov Variations" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt: "Daniil Trifonov – Transcendental – Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Preghiera – Rachmaninov: Piano Trios: "Gidon Kremer / Daniil Trifonov / Giedrè Dirvanauskaitè – Preghiera – Rachmaninov: Piano Trios" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Chopin Evocations: "Daniil Trifonov – Chopin Evocations" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Trout Quintet: "Anne-Sophie Mutter / Daniil Trifonov – Franz Schubert: Forellenquintett – Trout Quintet" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Destination Rachmaninov • Departure: BEL (Wa) Cl.Various sources for Ultratop Wallonia Classical Albums peaks: Rachmaninov Variations: "Daniil Trifonov / The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Rachmaninov Variations" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Transcendental: Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt: "Daniil Trifonov – Transcendental – Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Preghiera – Rachmaninov: Piano Trios: "Gidon Kremer / Daniil Trifonov / Giedrè Dirvanauskaitè – Preghiera – Rachmaninov: Piano Trios" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Chopin Evocations: "Daniil Trifonov – Chopin Evocations" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Schubert: Trout Quintet: "Anne-Sophie Mutter / Daniil Trifonov – Franz Schubert: Forellenquintett – Trout Quintet" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Trifonov: The Carnegie Recital: "Daniil Trifonov – The Carnegie Recital" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved 5 July 2018.FRA"Discographie Daniil Trifonov" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 5 July 2018.NLDVarious sources for Dutch chart peaks for studio albums: Rachmaninov Variations: "Daniil Trifonov / The Philadelphia Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Rachmaninov Variations" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Transcendental: Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt: "Daniil Trifonov – Transcendental – Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Chopin Evocations: "Daniil Trifonov – Chopin Evocations" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Destination Rachmaninov • Departure: GERVarious sources for German peak positions for studio albums: Transcendental: Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz Liszt: "Discografie Daniil Trifonov" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Chopin Evocations: "Daniil Trifonov – Chopin Evocations" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Destination Rachmaninov • Departure: Daniil Trifonov - Destination Rachmaninov - Departure (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 March 2019.UK Cl."Official Specialist Classical Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. 14–20 October 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2018.US Cl.Chopin Released: 24 July 2011 Recorded: St. Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, December 2010 Contributing artists: Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra and Wojciech Rajski (Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1) Label: Dux Records Format: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — — Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 Released: 27 August 2012 Recorded: Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg Contributing artists: Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and Valery Gergiev (Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1) Label: Mariinsky Format: Super Audio CD, LP, digital download — — — — — — — — — Rachmaninov VariationsReleased: 15 June 2015 Recorded: Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, March 2015 (Paganini Rhapsody); American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City, March 2015 (Chopin Variations, Corelli Variations, Rachmania) Contributing artists: Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Rachmaninoff Rhapsody) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards 2 — 6 5 — 90 — — 10Transcendental: Daniil Trifonov Plays Franz LisztReleased: 7 October 2016 Recorded: Siemens-Villa in Berlin, September 2015 Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards 3 149 3 4 186 42 94 1 4Preghiera – Rachmaninov: Piano Trios Released: 24 February 2017 Recorded: Echternach/Luxembourg, Trifolion, 1–3 May 2015 Contributing artists: Gidon Kremer, violin and Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė, cello Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download 4 — 6 8 — — — — 25Chopin EvocationsReleased: 6 October 2017 Recorded: Bad Kissingen, Regentenbau, Rossini-Saal; Hamburg-Harburg, Friedrich-Ebert-Halle; and Konzerthaus Dortmund, July 2016 Contributing artists: Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Mikhail Pletnev (Chopin piano concertos, "Là ci darem la mano" variations), Sergei Babayan (Chopin rondo) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download — — 7 10 198 65 142 — 6Schubert: Trout Quintet Released: 3 November 2017 Recorded: Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, June 2017 Contributing artists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin (Trout Quintet, Notturno, Ständchen, Ave Maria); Hwayoon Lee, viola (Trout Quintet); Maximilian Hornung, cello (Trout Quintet and Notturno); Roman Patkoló, double bass (Trout Quintet) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download — — 15 11 — — — — 17Destination Rachmaninov • Departure Released: 12 October 2018 Recorded: Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, April 2018 (Piano Concerto No. 2 and Bach-Rachmaninoff Partita) and October 2015 (Piano Concerto No. 4; live) Contributing artists: Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin (piano concerti) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, LP, digital download — — 9 5 — — 89 — 4 Destination Rachmaninov • Arrival Released: 11 October 2019 Recorded: Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, April 2018 (Piano Concerto No. 3; live) and November 2016 (Piano Concerto No.1); Philharmonie in Berlin, February 2019 (The Silver Sleigh Bells; live); Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall at Princeton University, January 2019 (Vocalise) Contributing artists: Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin (piano concerti) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, LP, digital download — — — — — — — — — Silver Age Released: 5 November 2020 Recorded: Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, January 2019 (all works except for concerti); Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, November 2019 (concerti) Contributing artists: Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev (concerti) Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, LP, digital download Bach: The Art of Life Released: 8 October 2021 Recorded: Mechanics Hall, Worcester, December 2020 Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — —Lieder Released: 10 June 2022 Recorded: Teldex Studio, Berlin, October 2018 Contributing artists: Matthias Goerne, baritone Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — —Rachmaninoff for Two Released: 29 March 2024 Recorded: Konzerthaus, Vienna, July 2023 Contributing artists: Sergei Babayan, piano Label: Deutsche Grammophon Format: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — —My American Story - North Released: 4 October 2024 Recorded: Various locations, 2023 Contributing artists: Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin Label: Decca Records Format: CD, digital download — — — — — — — — —Tchaikovsky Released: 3 October 2025 — — — — — — — — —
Live albums