Denis Ivanov was born in St. Petersburg. After finishing school, he graduated with honors in 1996 from the Music College"Mussorgski," which, along with passing the entrance exam, allowed him to pursue higher education. Denis received furthermusical training as a concert pianist at three music universities: in 2001 at the St. Petersburg Conservatory "Rimsky-Korsakov," in 2007 at the University of Music "Carl Maria von Weber" in Dresden (both graduating as a concert pianist), andin 2021 at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne (graduating with a Master of Music in New Music Interpretation). Histeachers included Eduard Bazanov, Detlef Kaiser, Léa-Yoanna Adam, and David Smeyers. Denis Ivanov's participation inseveral international and national competitions in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Paris has been award-winning. As a soloistand chamber music partner, he has performed in Russia, Europe, and Japan, collaborating with orchestras such as the"Mariinsky Theater" in St. Petersburg, the "Sinfonietta Dresden," the Philharmonie Südwestfalen, the Bad KissingenOrchestra, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne.

Denis is a versatile musician who feels equally comfortable on stage as a soloist during piano recitals and as a member ofvarious chamber ensembles. He also participates as an actor in music theater productions. In "karikative" song evenings withthe duo "Borisowitch & Jhang" (with Jean Bermes/bass-baritone), classical and romantic vocal and piano repertoire meetscabaret-philosophical reflections in playful multilingualism. They have showcased their mastery on major stages such as theKonzerthaus Vienna, the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, and at the Kunstfest Weimar. In 2016, they released the joint album"César Cui." A significant enrichment for Denis is his ongoing collaboration with concert pianist Léa-Yoanna Adam, withwhom he regularly performs as the piano duo "Emotion" across Europe. In 2023, the piano duo recorded their first CD albumon the special instrument "Opus 102" by S. Paullello.

In 2014, Denis formed the artistic duo "Gegenwind" with the virtuoso saxophonist Yuriy Broshel. In 2020, both artistsrecorded the CD "Klassik in einem neuen Gewand" and in 2022 the CD "face to face" featuring original compositions andtheir own arrangements. He also performs successfully in the "A-Trio." A highlight was Denis's own composition"Überirdische Nachtmusik," written for trio, which was recorded by Deutschlandfunk in 2021. Since 2018, Denis has held ateaching position at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne.