Alexei Sultanov

Alexei Sultanov (Russian: Алексей Салтанов 7 August 1969 – 30 June 2005) was a Russian-American classical pianist of Uzbek origin. His father was a cellist, his mother was a violinist, and his grandmother was a well-known Uzbek actress. At the age of 6, he began piano lessons in Tashkent with Tamara Popovich. He became famous after winning the Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1989, at the age of 19. He was the youngest contestant in that year's competition. Listeners were awed by his virtuosic technique, musicality, and dynamic range. After winning the Van Cliburn, he made appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. In October 1995, Sultanov won second prize at the...