Krainev was born in Krasnoyarsk, the son of musician Vsevolod Krainev and pediatrician Rachil Gerschoig. He studied at the Central School of the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Anaida Sumbatyan, and also studied at the Conservatory in the classes of Heinrich Neuhaus, and his son, Stanislav Neuhaus. After winning second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition and first prize at the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition (ex-aequo with Nelson Freire), and especially after his victory at the ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (first prize ex-aequo with John Lill), his career as a pianist began. He performed with some of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, and collaborated with renowned artists throughout the world. Alfred Schnittke dedicated one of his piano concertos to him. International music festivals known as "The Invitation of Vladimir Krainev" were held each year in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and concerts called "Vladimir Krainev: his Friends and Pupils" were given annually at the Moscow Conservatory. Krainev was a jury member of many international piano competitions, for instance: Leeds, Lisbon, and Tokyo, as well as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Vladimir Krainev was a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, where 29 young pianists from the People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, and other countries studied with him. Among his students were Katia Skanavi, Vladimir Sverdlov, Igor Tchetuev, Aglika Genova and Liuben Dimitrov, Pascal Godart, Alexandre Moutouzkine, Irma Issakadze, Denys Proshayev, Hisako Kawamura, Dong-Min Lim, Ilya Rashkovsky, Mariya Kim, Ingmar Lazar, Paul Kern and Sun Ho Lee. In 1992, Krainev organized the first international competition of young pianists in Kharkiv, Ukraine. He lived in Hanover, Germany, and was married to Tatiana Tarasova, a renowned figure skating coach, who trained the winners of nine Olympic gold medals. On 29 April 2011 Krainev died in his house in Hanover, aged 67.
The first Volodymyr Krainev Competition for Young Pianists was held in March 1992 in Kharkiv on the initiative of the teaching staff and personally the director of the Kharkiv Secondary Specialised Music Boarding School (now the Kharkiv State Music Lyceum - Steinway School) Valery Altukhov, who was warmly and sincerely supported by the outstanding pianist of our time, People's Artist of the USSR and Ukraine, professor at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, winner of international competitions, Volodymyr Krainev, whose childhood years were spent in the Kharkiv School.
The first competition, held in the spring of 1992, was attended by 90 young musicians from 12 countries. The organizing committee decided to hold the competition every two years in Kharkiv in the last decade of March.
The second competition, held in 1994, attracted 70 participants and was held in three rounds. For the first time, the finalists performed the programme of the third round accompanied by a symphony orchestra.
In the spring of 1996, the third competition was attended by about 90 participants from 10 countries.
A significant event in the life of the competition took place in 1997. It became a member of the European Union Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY) and gradually became known among creative young people.
The fourth competition was held in 1998 and brought together 100 participants from 14 countries.
The fifth V. Krainev Competition for Young Pianists was held in March 2000. It was attended by more than 80 young musicians from 16 countries.
The sixth competition, held in 2002, brought together 100 young musicians from 12 countries.
More than 60 young pianists from 11 countries took part in the seventh international competition in 2004.
The eighth international competition, held in 2006, was attended by 94 young pianists from 13 countries.
In 2008, the ninth competition was held, with 46 young pianists from 13 countries taking part.
In 2010, the tenth anniversary competition was held, with 52 young pianists from 9 countries taking part.
The XIth Competition in 2012 was held, unfortunately, without Volodymyr Krainev (1944-2011), with 37 participants from 8 countries.
In 2014, due to the annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine and the threat of armed aggression by the Russian Federation, the Organising Committee decided not to hold the competition.
In 2016, the "Debut" nomination was added to the rules of the XII Competition. In this nomination, the participants performed a programme of one round. The competition received 53 applications from 4 countries.
The XIII Competition in 2018 received 56 applications from 9 countries.
In 2021, the XIVth Competition (due to the covid pandemic) was held online and consisted of two rounds. There were 90 applications from 16 countries.
In 2022, the XVth competition was also not held due to the full-scale war unleashed by Russia throughout the country.
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Valentin Belchenko (Russia)
Galina Vratcheva (Switzerland)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Katerina Murina (Russia)
Serhiy Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Yaromir Bozhenko (Ukraine)
First prize - Alina Kiryaeva (Ukraine), Nina Shimkunas (Russia)
II prize - Alibek Alpiev (Kazakhstan), Petro Ovcharov (Russia)
III prize - Myroslava Skibinska (Ukraine)
Senior group
Grand Prix - Liene Thirtsene (Latvia)
First prize - Marco Martin (Estonia), Evgen Khanin (Russia), Olexandr Chernov (Russia)
II prize - Hanna Kravchenko (Ukraine)
III prize - Vyacheslav Zubkov (Ukraine), Gary Setyan (Ukraine)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Valentin Belchenko (Russia)
Galina Vratcheva (Switzerland)
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Aldona Dvarionaite (Lithuania)
Natalia Dushchenko (Ukraine)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Sergiy Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Junior group
First prize - Olena Bobrovskykh (Russia), Olena Kolesnichenko (Ukraine)
II prize - Igor Grishin (Ukraine), Olena Melnikova (Russia)
III prize - Kateryna Makarova (Ukraine)
Senior group
Grand Prix - Igor Tchetuev (Ukraine)
First prize - Mykhailo Danchenko (Ukraine), Paul Kern (Germany), Natalya Taldykina (Russia)
II prize - Olena Kholodova (Russia)
III prize - Dmitro Kaprin (Russia)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Valentin Belchenko (Russia)
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Natalya Dushchenko (Ukraine)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Viktor Makarov (Ukraine)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Snezana Panovska (Malaysia, Macedonia)
Worren Thomson (Australia)
Volodymyr Rozhok (Ukraine)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Oleksandr Romanovskyi (Ukraine)
First prize - Lilian Akopova (Ukraine), Sergiy Shkoliarenko (Ukraine)
II prize - Alina Kabanova (Ukraine), Artem Liakhovych (Ukraine)
III prize - Liu Bo Ven (China), Yuliia Shved (Ukraine)
Senior group
First prize - Maria Kim (Ukraine), Oleksiy Koltakov (Ukraine), Olexandr Mutuzkin (Russia)
II prize - Denys Masliuk (Belarus)
III prize - Olena Vorotko (Ukraine), Denys Proshchayev (Ukraine)
Diploma - Iryna Sapozhnikova (Ukraine)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) – Jury Chairman
Valentin Belchenko (Russia)
Paola Volpe (Italy)
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Tamara Koloss (Russia)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Snezhana Panovska (Malaysia, Macedonia)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Tong Bo (China)
First prize - Olga Kuznetsova (Ukraine), Dinara Nadzhafova (Ukraine), Robert Umansky (Ukraine)
II prize - Tetyana Kolesova (Russia), Sergiy Komirenko (Ukraine)
III prize - Vadym Kholodenko (Ukraine), Vestards Shimkus (Latvia)
Senior group
Grand Prix - Illya Rashkovsky (Russia)
First prize - Aureliy Pontie (France)
II prize - Vasyl Netuk (Belarus), Andriy Tsygychko (Ukraine), Bertran Shamaio (France)
III prize - Kateryna Shamanauri (Georgia)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) – Jury Chairman
Valentin Belchenko (Russia)
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Tamara Koloss (Russia)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Snezhana Panovska (Malaysia, Macedonia)
Yoko Yamaoka (Japan)
Junior group
First prize - Andriy Baranenko (Russia), Daria Dashutina (Ukraine), Maria Mikhailidi (Ukraine)
II prize - Vakhtang Jordania (Georgia), Daria Mitina (Russia)
III prize - Aliya Turetaeva (Kazakhstan), Andriy Yaroshynsky (Ukraine)
Senior group
First prize - Elmar Gasanov (Ukraine), Dmytro Onishchenko (Ukraine)
II prize - U Tsun (China), Mladen Tcholich (Yugoslavia)
III prize - Pavlo Gintov (Ukraine)
Diploma - Ji In Biyn (Korea), Gan Wui Ming (Malaysia)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Yoko Murata (Japan)
Snezhana Panovska (Malaysia, Macedonia)
Volodymyr Skanavi (Russia)
Naum Shtarkman (Russia)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Valeria Mirosh (Ukraine)
Yasuda Hidekazu (Japan)
Zhang Zuo (China)
First prize - Kateryna Levchenko (Ukraine), Nariya Nogi (Japan)
II prize - Ksenia Rodionova (Russia)
III prize - Maria Narodytska (Ukraine)
Senior group
First prize - Olexandr Maslov (Russia)
II prize - Tristan Pfaff (France)
III prize - Valeryia Kucherenko (Ukraine)
Diploma - Anastasiya Dombrovska (Ukraine), Andriy Dragan (Ukraine), Yuliia Kiseleva (Russia)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Aldona Dvarionaitė (Lithuania)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Li Ming Qiang (China)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Kyung Mi Lee (Korea)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Oleksandr Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Yoko Murata (Japan)
Volodymyr Skanavi (Russia)
Naum Shtarkman (Russia)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Danylo Kyrylov (Russia), Tai Yang (China)
First prize - Hanna Gogava (Georgia)
II prize - Maxym Shadko (Ukraine)
III prize - Olga Kalabynina (Ukraine), Dmytro Maiboroda (Russia), Khrystyna Sapelyak (Ukraine)
Diploma - Kohichi Tanabe (Japan)
Senior group
II prize - Nariya Nogi (Japan)
III prize - Phylyp Kopatchevsky (Russia), Lidiya Nochovska (Ukraine)
Diploma - Hanna Kavalerova (Russia), Andriy Stukalov (Russia), Artem Yasynsky (Ukraine)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Russia, Germany) - Jury Chairman
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Kyung Mi Lee (Korea)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Oleksandr Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Yoko Murata (Japan)
Volodymyr Skanavi (Russia)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Sigian Li (China)
First prize - Sergey Belyavsky (Russia), Anna Denysova (Russia)
II prize - Abigal Sin (Singapore), Nan Song Huang (China)
III prize - Nadiya Kyselyova (Ukraine)
Marina Kysla (Ukraine)
Senior group
Grand Prix - Dinara Nadzhafova (Ukraine, Russia)
First prize - Chun Wang (China)
III prize - Tamila Salimdszanova (Uzbekistan), Maksym Lavrov (Ukraine), Mykhailo Eletsky (Belarus)
Diploma - Arsen Yakovenko (Ukraine)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Kyung Mi Lee (Korea)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Oleksandr Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Volodymyr Skanavi (Russia)
Igor Chetuev (Ukraine, Germany)
Junior group
Grand Prix - Hanna Kipiani (Georgia)
First prize - Yamato Komatsu (Japan)
Xu Qi (China)
II prize - Kyung A Lee (Korea)
III prize - Dmytro Belyak (Ukraine), Kateryna Garanich (Ukraine), Vladyslav Khairutdynov (Ukraine)
Senior group
First prize - Hanna Gogava (Georgia), Tetyana Dorokhova (Russia)
II prize - Atsushi Imada (Japan), Ruzanna Minasyan (Armenia), Mark Serdiuk (Ukraine)
III prize - Arsen Yakovenko (Ukraine), Anastasiya Yasko (Russia)
Jury:
Volodymyr Krainev (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Bernd Getskey (Germany)
Thérèse Dussaut (France)
Fumiko Iguchi (Japan)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Kyung Mi Lee (Korea)
Natalya Melnikova (Ukraine)
Oleksandr Polusmyak (Ukraine)
Volodymyr Skanavi (Russia)
Igor Chetuev (Ukraine, Germany)
Junior group
First prize - Vsevolod Brygida (Russia)
II prize - Tornado Liu (China)
III prize - Joseph Biley (Russia), Sining Liu (China), Oleksiy Kanke (Ukraine)
Diploma - Kateryna Khomyakova (Ukraine), Georgy Kryzhnenko (Russia)
Senior group
First prize - Arseniy Esaulkov (Russia)
Yvette Gyöngyösi (Hungary), Illya Zuiko (Ukraine)
II prize - Artem Loshkov (Ukraine)
III prize - Mayuko Motoyama (Japan)
Diploma - Yamato Komatsu (Japan), Dmytro Vinnichenko (Ukraine)
Jury:
Bernd Getskey (Germany) - Jury Chairman
Tong Bo (China)
Svitlana Zakharova (Ukraine)
Valeriy Kozlov (Ukraine)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Olexandr Romanovsky (Italy)
Katya Skanavi (Russia)
Igor Chetuev (Ukraine, Germany)
Michael Shalamov (Germany)
Sonja Steindl-Kwon (Austria)
Junior group
First prize - Yelyzaveta Korman (Ukraine)
II prize - Maria Klymenko (Ukraine)
III prize - Yelyzaveta Klyucheryova (Russia), Polina Shevlyagina (Russia)
Diploma - Dmitro Yudin (Russia), Margaryta Molchanova (Russia), Yevhen Motorenko (Ukraine)
Senior group
II prize - Dina Ivanova (Russia), Gana Rudakova (Russia)
III prize - Olexandr Vorontsov (Russia)
Diploma - Ke Gao (China), Alisa Perekopska (Ukraine)
Jury:
Justas Dvorionas (Lithuania) - Jury Chairman
Svitlana Zakharova (Ukraine)
Yuriy Kot (Ukraine)
Julia Krudger (USA)
Milan Langer (Czech Republic)
Maya Narimanidze (Georgia)
Nomination "Young Master"
Junior group
First prize - Roman Fediurko (Ukraine)
II prize - Andriy Kholodkov (Ukraine)
Diploma - Oleksandra Bilytska (Ukraine), Ulyana Pinaeva (Ukraine)
Olena Rozhestvenna (Ukraine), Nataliya Sokolenko (Ukraine)
Senior group
II prize - Anastasiya Gai (Ukraine)
III prize - Kateryna Kurylko (Ukraine), Vladyslav Khairutdynov (Ukraine)
Diploma - Illya Ovcharenko (Ukraine), Dmytro Shevchenko (Ukraine)
Nomination "Debut"
I group
II prize - Sofia Karapetyan (Ukraine)
III prize - Lyudmyla Vasylyeva (Ukraine)
II group
II prize - Darya Sannikova (Ukraine)
III group
First prize - Kasparas Mikužys (Lithuania)
III prize - Maria Kurguzova (Ukraine), Maria Chuprina (Ukraine)
Diploma - Maria Maresieva (Ukraine), Zlata Oliynyk (Ukraine)
IV group
First prize - Oleksandr Panchenko (Ukraine)
III prize - Tetiana Donets (Ukraine), Yelyzaveta Cherkashina (Ukraine)
Jury:
Justas Dvarionas (Lithuania) - Jury Chairman
Svitlana Zakharova (Ukraine)
Yuriy Kot (Ukraine)
Milan Langer (Czech Republic)
Anna Sagalova (Ukraine)
William Fong (United Kingdom)
Nomination "Young Master"
Junior group
II prize - Rae Yue Pung (Australia)
III prize - Richard Gao (Canada), Yegor Bakhmut (Ukraine), Dariya Sannikova (Ukraine)
Diploma - Sylvia Mariel Gudman (Ukraine)
Senior group
First prize - Milda Daunoraite (Lithuania)
II prize - Kira Frolu (Romania), Maria Klymenko (Ukraine)
III prize - Benito Zara (Ukraine), Maria Kurguzova (Ukraine)
Diploma - Dmytro Kravets (Ukraine), Maria Chuprina (Ukraine)
Nomination "Debut"
I group
II prize - Oleksandr Fediurko (Ukraine)
III prize - Kleja Kasubaitė (Lithuania), Kaja Kasubaitė (Lithuania), Korniy Sheldunov (Ukraine)
Diploma - Artem Golovin (Ukraine)
II group
II prize - Sofiya Karpetian (Ukraine)
III prize - Liudmyla Vasylieva (Ukraine), Kseniya Trefilova (Ukraine)
Diploma - Valeriia Motora (Ukraine), Diana Stognushenko (Ukraine)
III group
First prize - Bohdan Terletskyi (Ukraine)
III prize - Nataliya Kravchenko (Ukraine), Yuliia Lavrinenko (Ukraine), Oleksandra Nimenska (Ukraine)
Diploma - Anastasiya Matiyash (Ukraine)
Jury:
Justas Dvarionas (Lithuania) - Jury Chairman
Natalia Balycheva (Ukraine)
Yuriy Kot (Ukraine)
Milan Langer (Czech Republic)
Anna Sagalova (Ukraine)
Catherine Grave (UK)
Nomination "Young Master"
Junior group
First prize - Yonghuan Zhong (China)
II prize - Revaz Marshania (Georgia)
III prize - Anna Burel (Ukraine), Taisiia Kasyanenko (Ukraine)
Diploma - Sofiya Karapetyan (Ukraine), Pinn Mahasaranond (Thailand)
Senior group
First prize - Dmytro Semykras (Ukraine)
II prize - Veronika Jaková (Czech Republic)
III prize - Roman Fediurko (Ukraine)
Diploma - Magdalena Ho (Great Britain), Andrii Kholodkov (Ukraine), Daria Sannikova (Ukraine)
Nomination "Debut"
I group
First prize - Kyrylo Taranovskyi (Ukraine), Kateryna Pyshniuk (Ukraine)
Second prize - Mark Kichuk (Ukraine), Karina Ragosa (Ukraine)
III prize - Alisa Pimenova (Ukraine), Yuliana Beziazychna (Ukraine)
Diploma - Polina Golubeva (Ukraine), Sofiia Steblovska (Ukraine)
II group
First prize - Charlotte Giraudeau (Canada)
II prize - Kristina Avalian (Ukraine), Sofia Hai (Ukraine)
III prize - Anzhela Lypynska (Ukraine), Lillian Chen (Taiwan)
Diploma - Sofiya Dorosh (Ukraine), Alexandra Ma (Canada), Vira Bondarenko (Ukraine)
III group
Grand Prix - Asta Dora Finnsdottir (Iceland)
II prize - Momone Shiraishi (Japan), Anastasiya Shymchuk (Ukraine)
III prize - Phoebe Papandrea (Great Britain)
Diploma - Pinn Mahasaranond (Thailand), Kwankei Hung (Hong Kong), Yuliia Habruk (Ukraine)
