The 2010 Gilmore Artist Award has been given to 30-year-old Russian-born pianist Kirill Gerstein. The Award is given every four years, following a judging process in which candidates are assessed over a sustained period by an advisory committee without their knowledge. The impressive list of former recipients most recently includes Ingrid Fliter, Piotr Anderszewski and Leif Ove Andsnes. “Over the past ten years we have observed Kirill Gerstein develop into one of the most compelling and profound musical artists of his generation,” said Daniel Gustin, director of the Irving S Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, which gives the prize. “He is the epitome of what we seek in the Gilmore Artist - a musical thinker and performer who will continue growing and who can, and we believe will, attain a career as a major concert pianist for the 21st century.” Gerstein’s CV includes performances with many of the world’s leading orchestras, first prize at the 2001 Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, and being named as Carnegie Hall's “Rising Star” for the 2005-06 season. He also won the Gilmore Young Artist Award back in 2002. Since 2006 he has been a professor of piano at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart, and now holds American citizenship. Gilmore Artists receive $50,000 cash and $250,000 towards the cost of career-advancing projects. Gerstein described winning the Award as “very gratifying and flattering…I’m quite overwhelmed by the myriad of projects that this award could make possible.” This year’s Gilmore Young Artists (for musicians aged 22 or under) are named as Ivan Moshchuk and Charlie Albright.