Kyril Zlotnikov | Cello

Born in Minsk, Belarus to a family of professional musicians, Kyril Zlotnikov began his music studies at the Belarusian State Music Academy under the guidance of Prof. Vladimir Perlin. He continued his education in Israel, studying with Prof. Uzi Wiesel and Hillel Zori, and completed his training under the direction of Prof. Michael Khomitzer at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and Dance.

As a student, Kyril Zlotnikov participated in master classes and courses with esteemed musicians such as Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Natalia Gutman, Boris Pergamenschikow, Aldo Parisot, and Georgy Kurtag. He received a scholarship from the America-Israel Culture Foundation from 1991 and won prizes in various contests, including the Clairmont Competition, the Braun-Roger Siegl Competition, and the Pierre Tarcali Prize.

Kyril Zlotnikov is a founding member of The Jerusalem Quartet, a group recognized for its artistic creativity and dynamic performances. The quartet has given numerous performances worldwide and has become Israel’s leading string quartet. From 2002 to 2020, they recorded exclusively for Harmonia Mundi and since 2022, the Quartet records for BIS Records.

Along with extensive chamber music appearances, Kyril Zlotnikov has also performed as a soloist with internationally renowned orchestras, such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Ludwigsburg Symphony Orchestra, The Gulbenkian Orchestra, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and Jerusalem Camerata. He has collaborated with acclaimed conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Lawrence Foster, Asher Fish, and Simone Young. He has a broad repertoire covering important cello works from the baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary music periods.

Kyril Zlotnikov is a regular guest at major chamber music festivals such as the Proms Festival, Verbier Festival, Vancouver, Gstaad, Salzburg, Rheingau, Ravinia, Schleswig-Holstein, the Jerusalem, and the Schwetzingen Festivals, among others. He has shared the stage with some of the foremost artists of today, such as Daniel Barenboim, András Schiff, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Pierre Boulez, Elena Bashkirova, Mitsuko Uchida, Natalia Gutman, Tabea Zimmerman, Miriam Fried, Michael Tree, Asher Fish, Nikolaj Znaider, Lang Lang, Itamar Golan, and Martin Fröst.

Kyril Zlotnikov has also served as a jury member for several international competitions, including the 2016 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and the 2022 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition.

From 2001 to 2012, Kyril Zlotnikov was the principal cellist and teacher of the cello group at the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Maestro Daniel Barenboim. He also frequently participated in special projects and tours of the Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra as a principal cellist.

Zlotnikov has made many recordings with The Jerusalem Quartet, including the complete Mozart piano trios with Maestro Daniel Barenboim and violinist Nikolaj Znaider, which were released by EMI in April 2006. Since 2020, he has been an ambassador for Jargar Strings. He plays an Amati Brothers cello made in Cremona, circa 1610, which is on loan from a Charitable Trust.