Born in 1997 in Surgut, Siberia, pianist Simon Karakulidi has lived in the United States since 2016. An aspiring polymath with interests ranging from politics to philosophy, he received his master’s degree at the Yale School of Music (Connecticut), a tuition-free program at Yale University under Wei-Yi Yang. Before then, he studied with the Van Cliburn Gold Prize Winner Stanislav Ioudenitch in Parkville, Missouri. Karakulidi has also been mentored by Diego Prigollini. Karakulidi is enthusiastic about American classical music and is currently engaged in learning the complete piano works of David Lang and Nico Muhly.
Most recently, Karakulidi won Second Prize at Virginia Waring International Piano Competition (California) and First Prize at the Hellam International Concerto Competition (Missouri). He also won First Prize from the 2019 Wideman International Piano Competition (Louisiana), First Prize at the Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artists Competition (Texas), and the Grand Prize of the Naftzger Competition (Kansas).