Born in Simferopol, Crimea, Khrystyna displayed extraordinary musical talent from early childhood. She began performing publicly at the age of five, and by eight had made her orchestral debut in Sevastopol (Crimea, Ukraine) after winning a special prize in international piano competition “Ascent” (Yalta, Crimea)—an achievement that marked the beginning of a remarkable international career. Before the age of ten, she had already won multiple European piano competitions, built an extensive recital repertoire, and appeared as soloist with orchestras.

In 2014, following the Russian occupation of Crimea, Khrystyna and her family were forced to flee to Kyiv, where she continued her studies at the Kyiv State Music Lyceum under professor Nataliia Tolpygo-Rusina. Her guidance allowed Khrystyna to settle in the new environment smoothly and start a very active concert career appearing on major stages around Ukraine and Europe.

Khrystyna’s artistic development took a significant step forward in 2016 when, after winning three international competitions in one month, she met renowned pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who became her teacher and mentor. Grynyuk immediately recognised her exceptional talent, praising her as “stronger and more powerful than anyone I’ve ever worked with before.” His guidance helped cultivate the emotional maturity and interpretative depth that now characterise her performances of even the most demanding repertoire.

In March 2016 Khrystyna with her family and teachers decided to suspend competitive activities and develop further as a solo artist outside competitions. From spring 2016 to the present day, Khrystyna has not taken part in any music competitions but instead has gained a lot of experience by giving recitals and taking part in different master classes and European festivals.

Khrystyna has since appeared more than 60 times as a soloist with symphony orchestras and performed in major venues including Salle Cortot (Paris), Bozar Hall (Brussels), Gariūnai Concert Hall (Vilnius), the University of Miami, Broward Center for the Performing Arts (USA), the World Bank (Washington, DC), the UN Residence (New York), and the National Philharmonics of Ukraine (Kyiv, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk…). 

Her festival appearances include International Summer Music Academy in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz (2016-2018); Music Academies of Germany (ISAM) and Belgium (IMUSE) 2016; International Festival in Switzerland (“Art Dialogue”) 2017. LvivMozArt International Festival, 2017-2018 (Lviv, Ukraine); International Chamber Music Course and Festival “Musica Mundi”, 2017-2019 (Waterloo, Belgium). 69th Festival Junger Künstler (Bayreuth, Germany) 2019; 4th Frost Chopin Festival, Miami USA, 2022; Cello-Piano Masterclass Course by Leonard Elschenbroich & Alexei Grynyuk, Bremen Germany, 2022; 19th Chopin Course and Festival, Radjiowitze Poland, 2022; Chetham’s International Piano Summer School, 2022, among many others.

After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Khrystyna fled to Poland with her mother and sister before settling in the United Kingdom later in June. She continued her education with Graham Scott at the Royal Northern College of Music Junior Department, and in September 2023 became a full-time student at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Professor Joanna MacGregor. Since moving to the UK, she has performed widely, appearing with orchestras such as the London City Philharmonic, Corinthian Chamber Orchestra, and the North East Orchestra. Among her recent highlights is her much-anticipated debut at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in June 2025, performing Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.

Praised for her “extraordinary virtuosity and full interpretative dignity” (Frank Piontek), Khrystyna Mykhailichenko stands out as one of the most promising pianists of her generation — an artist whose performances blend emotional depth, technical brilliance, and a profoundly human understanding of music.