'He is like a Tibetan monk who has left his body and transformed himself into sounds. His physical being is merely a means for playing notes...' This is a perfect description of perhaps one of the most elusive artists alive today and one of the very greatest of Russian pianists, who nevertheless shrinks to the point of unrecognisability while playing and, relegated to the background, allows the music to dominate the space. When Grigory Sokolov performs, time stops in the concert hall: his playing, his inimitably streamlined interpretation of the compositions and the crystal-clear perfection of his technique at the keyboard all open up new dimensions for the listener. All of this is a marvel that the Hungarian audience are able to experience for themselves each year.
Born in Saint Petersburg in 1950, the pianist was only five years old when his extraordinary talent began to attract the attention of the Russian music world. He attended a special music school and was enrolled at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1960. When he was 16, a jury headed by Emil Gilels unanimously declared him the winner of the Third International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, a triumph that launched his performing career. He regularly plays in concert in the world's major concert halls, including Vienna's Musikverein, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, New York's Carnegie Hall and venues in London, Salzburg, Tokyo, Paris and Rome. He has worked with a significant number of the world's leading orchestras and conductors.

Presented by: Jakobi Koncert Kft.