Ignas Maknickas

In July 2021 Ignas Maknickas received “The Queen’s Commendation for Excellence” as the highest scoring graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. He was awarded First Prize at the XIX Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Youth in Szafarnia, First Prize at the XX Piano Competition “Young Virtuoso” in Zagreb and, in 2019, Third Prize at the Aarhus Piano Competition.

Ignas has appeared with the Aarhus Symphony, Alicante Philharmonic, Dartington Festival Orchestra, Lithuanian National Symphony, Lithuanian State Symphony, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Royal Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra.

Born in California in 1998, Ignas was raised in Lithuania. In 2017, upon his graduation from the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Vilnius, he was honored by the President of Lithuania, H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė. Together with his sister and three brothers, the talented Maknickas Family Ensemble has represented Lithuania on National Television and at State Occasions.

Ignas completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the Royal Academy of Music on full scholarship, studying with Professor Joanna MacGregor. In September 2021 he will begin the Master of Arts Program with Professor MacGregor, also on full scholarship. He is a recipient of the Molyneaux Prize, the ABRSM Scholarship Award and the Imogen Cooper Music Trust Scholarship, and is an Artist of the Arts Global Foundation.

He has attended master-classes with Dmitri Bashkirov, Dame Imogen Cooper, Christopher Elton, Stephen Hough, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Marios Papadopoulos, Menahem Pressler, Geoffrey Simon, Tamás Ungár and Ilana Vered.

As a recitalist he has appeared at Steinway Hall in London, Vaidilos Theatre in Vilnius, Kinross House in Scotland, and Charlottenborg Festival Hall in Copenhagen.