His friends, he says, tease him because he always looks critical as soon as music is played: “In truth, I’m just focused and not as strict as I look,” says Borisov, grinning mischievously… He also devotes himself to other arts – literature, visual arts or theatre – with equally concentrated dedication. Perhaps these wide-ranging interests are a legacy of his teacher Mary Lebenzon at the Novosibirsk Conservatory, who passed on her comprehensive education to her students: “It was as if she knew all the composers personally,” Borisov recalls. Today, he continues to tell the stories in his colourful and dramatic playing.