It is possible that the young man may actually be as he seems; reserved, very focused, in fact quite serious and almost shy. But when at the piano, a broad spectrum of intense expressiveness is revealed through his concentration on the essential in music. Yevgeny Sudbin is the name of the new uprising star, born in St.Petersburg (1980) who studied in his home town as well as in Berlin and London and since then has collected dozens of international prizes. The Festival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern presented him at the Castle Granitz with a recital – yet another lustrous pearl from their concert series Young Elite. Sudbin’s programme was something for music connoisseurs: it made the highest demands in virtuosity, but what was particularly gripping, was his interpretational perception. An incredible variety: from Haydn’s B minor Sonata (1776), Beethoven’s spectacular op. 111 (1822), Nikolai Medtner’s Sonata Tragica op. 39/5 (1920) and Debussy’s L’Isle Joyeuse (1904). Sudbin unites his eminent technical skills with a distinctive powerful-energetic playing. This is what underlies the artistic conception in Haydn and his unorthodox treatment of material and form in Beethoven. Medtner anyway demands well-nigh untamable “Lion of the Piano” approach, while Debussy’s L’Isle Joyeuse came across extraordinarily ecstatic. Sudbin’s music-making is very focused and direct. His concepts are clear and his “message” unequivocal. Moreover, the impression that all efforts are entirely devoted to the specific work, is of most significance to him. All Sudbin’s interpretations have their own profile. He will continue to work, expand and deepen his interpretations. With his talent, all roads are open to him.