Nina Kotova Fanpage

09/02/2026

Internationally acclaimed cellist and composer Nina Kotoff is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant instrumentalists of her generation.

Adopting the classic European spelling of her family name in the tradition of legendary diaspora masters, Kotoff embodies the spirit of a truly global artist.

Although she was only 11 years old when she performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras in the USSR, she defected to the West as a teenager, where she ultimately established her definitive career.

Her vast recording repertoire spans the definitive masterpieces of the instrument—including the Dvorak Cello Concerto, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, Bloch's Schelomo, and the core German, Russian and French sonatas—alongside her own celebrated Cello Concerto.

A passionate advocate for new music, Kotoff frequently premieres commissioned works written for her by leading contemporary composers.

Her artistic journey is marked by frequent collaborations with top-tier conductors, instrumentalists, and prominent actors, forging innovative cross-disciplinary projects on international stages.

With a celebrated recording catalog on major labels like Philips Classics, Warner Classics and Delos, Kotoff continues to shape the future of classical music worldwide.

08/21/2026

to in Macao 🎻🎻 I also played Tchaikovsky’s rococo Variations

9.Oct.2002
“Cellist Nina Kotova performed Johannes Brahms' Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 in Macao with violinist Lu Siqing and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Lipton, as part of the Cultural Affairs Bureau's romantic concert series Cultural Affairs Bureau.Performance & Repertoire HighlightsConcert Location: Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium.Collaborating Artists: Lu Siqing (violin) and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.Featured Brahms Work: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, Op. 102.Additional Recordings: Kotova also features Brahms' Cello Sonata No. 1 on her studio album Brahms Reger Schumann.”
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - 上海交响乐团

08/18/2026

In honor of the Ferragosto.

I’ve written two half an hour works twenty years ago for cello and string orchestra.

I have the best memories of touring this work as a soloist in the USA, the Carnegie hall included, with the NES orchestra directed by Dmitry Sitkovetsky.

This holiday is one of the major Italian holidays. This day has been the pivotal point every time in the course of my arts festival in Tuscany The Tuscan Sun.

I’d like to say a few words about it.

No, it isn’t fine. Because the city of Cortona has become the partial supporter of our family funded arts festival only at the very final years of the festival. The town was against the festival from the very beginning.

The current representative of culture of Cortona, who is a pianist by his education, has been against the Tuscan Sun festival from before we started it, and his opinion remains unchanged.

There is light, but only when one suffers through. Suffering overcomes, if there is not enough light.

The financial goal has never been the priority, only investing into the arts is.

As a soloist, I have never taken a concert fee for any of my performances at the festival.

What happened or didn’t to the festival is on the conscience of the people who weren’t the supporters. They did not grasp the significance of it.

Yes, we have caused Cortona businesses to bloom and it is lasting, but this is temporary as anything is.

Tuscan Sun Festival

08/17/2026

Ah! The Strad article I haven’t seen yet is a wonderful discovery of today!
Very grateful, thank you.

“Cello journey: the best recordings of Ernest Bloch's Schelomo”

“Moving into the 21st century, Nina Kotova refreshingly avoids overheated histrionics, playing with an ease and purity that prevents any sense of emotional overload. Passages that in other hands can seem decidedly effortful flow artlessly off the fingerboard here.”
So happy for my recording to be one of the recommended for this spectacular work!
https://www.thestrad.com/reviews/cello-journey-the-best-recordings-of-ernest-blochs-schelomo/7509.article


The Strad

Intended to be played as a seamless integrated whole, with an equality between the cellist and the orchestra, rather than as a concertante piece, Bloch's Hebraic rhapsody Schelomo has been recorded by many cellists in numerous ways - and it seems that there is something special about almost all ...

08/16/2026

In a Roman palazzo - I had a surreal experience of being by myself in this spectacular architectural masterpiece! Playing music there was a dream!

My albums are on all major streaming platforms!

Follow me on my website ninakotova.com and social media

“The reality of musicians around the world and the make -it -believe social media tactics of the music industry of today do not make sense and don’t contribute to the real progress in the arts.”- Nina KóTova

Read more about real me on other platforms.

08/10/2026

Memory lane post to 2000, the article at the South China Morning Post from my Asian tour for Dom Pérignon !
“ ‘Une Soiree Sublime' was hosted by the Dom Perignon Association at the Grand Hyatt to mark the debut of the Cuvee Dom Perignon vintage 1993. To offset this awe-inspiring w**e, guests dined on white asparagus, lobster and steamed garoupa fillet, and enjoyed a performance by cellist Nina Kotova, specially flown in from Russia for the occasion. Clockwise from above: Louis Tan and Cecilia Yip; Edwin Phillips and Candice Yu; Moet Hennessy Asia-Pacific managing director Mark Bedingham, Nina Kotova and Riche Monde managing director Claes Rydberg; Tracy Cheung, Jamie Higgins, Cara Dawn Shea and Anita Kei; Francis Cheng and Abbie Chan.”
Photos from my private archive

08/10/2026

These photos were taken in 1999, they’re filled with exciting warm memories after my Carnegie Hall Stern auditorium debut.
I’m publishing them for the first time.
This is our private reception at the NY’s Russian Tea Room. Greeting the guests after the concert still bring back feelings of gratitude to the day and to my family.
What was going through my mind after performing Tchaikovsky’s rococo variations? I was thinking about P.I.Tchaikovsky conducting at the opening of the hall in 1891, he was conducting his own works.
Who else, besides the friends, Dr. Ruth, Olga Rostropovich, Hélène Grimaud and others, were among the guests?
The spectacular poster I’ve made for the concert never found me! It has been ceased by my former Columbia artist manager Ch. L. ! It didn’t matter how many times I’ve asked Ch. , if I could please have my Carnegie Hall debut poster. His answer was the same: it has sunk in his storage.

Carnegie Hall Constantine Orbelian

08/08/2026

The Time magazine article is on the website now, preceding my Carnegie hall debut 30 years ago. My fans can finally read the press from the pre-internet era.

“she is also a musician of high seriousness and real talent.”
TIME

08/02/2026

I’d like to write a few words about the Festival Del Sole, it is 20 years old this year.

As a founder of this event together with my husband and the artistic director, I went to meet Margaret Mondavi at her Napa Valley w**ery and home in 2006.

Margaret was very friendly, a very interesting person and a painter herself.

Margaret loved the idea of the art festival in Napa, as there was nothing like it. But she said no to it back then as a supporter, and added, she’d like to watch its progress-the beginning of the festival in five months time just seemed impossible to everyone. But not to Barrett Wissman.

Since then, Margaret and Robert Mondavi became the most ardent supporters of the festival, and not only as the socializing event, but, specifically, the festival with the grand artistic goals that kept materializing.

Since the passing of Robert and Margaret the Napa Fest completely ignored the actual festival founders, renamed the festival. One of the lady sponsors publicly gets self-proclaimed as the founder.

Here’s the picture with Margaret along the course of the festival summers-

And with Pinchas Zukerman Amanda Forsyth

The photo with Robert Mondavi and Barrett Wissman is taken by