Being eleven years old Nahum Shtarkman played for the first time Mendelssohn's Concerto in G minor with the orchestra of Kiev Radio. The pianist was twelve when he performed his first solo recital in the Big Hall of the Kiev Conservatory.

In 1944 Shtarkman entered the Moscow Conservatory where he became the student of the outstanding Russian musician Professor Konstantin Igumnov.

In 1949 he was taken on by the contest into Moscow Philharmonic as a pianist-soloist.
In 1955 Nahum Shtarkman became a laureate of the Fifth lnternational Chopin Competition in Warsaw. In 1957 he won the First Prize and the Gold Medal at the First International Viana da Motta Competition in Lisbon. In 1958 the pianist won the Third Prize and the Bronze Medal at the First International Tchaikovsky Competition.

He has toured with great success in America, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Israel, Egypt, Colombia, Taiwan.

Nahum Shtarkman combines concert activity with pedagogical practice as a Professor at the Moscow Conservatory. He leads master-classes in Italy, Switzerland and Japan.

He has released many recordings and CDs.