András Schiff
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András Schiff
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Biography
András
Schiff was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1953 and started piano lessons at the
age of five with Elisabeth Vadász. Subsequently he continued his musical
studies at the Ferenc Liszt Academy with Professor Pál Kadosa, György Kurtág
and Ferenc Rados, and in London with George Malcolm.
Recitals
and special cycles, ie the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Bartók form an important part of his
activities. Since 2004 he has performed complete cycles of the 32 Beethoven
Piano Sonatas in 20 cities, and the cycle in the Zurich Tonhalle was recorded
live.
For
his recording “Geistervariationen” with works by Robert Schumann (ECM)
Andras Schiff received the International Classical Music Award 2012, in the
category “Solo Instrumental Recording of the Year.”
András
Schiff has worked with most of the major international orchestras and
conductors, but nowadays he performs mainly as a conductor and soloist. In 1999
he created his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca, which consists
of international soloists, chamber musicians and friends. In addition to working
annually with this Orchestra, he also works with the Chamber Orchestra of
Europe.
Since
childhood he has enjoyed playing chamber music and from 1989 until 1998 was
Artistic Director of the internationally highly praised "Musiktage
Mondsee" chamber music festival near Salzburg. In 1995, together with Heinz
Holliger, he founded the "Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte" in Kartause
Ittingen, Switzerland. In 1998 Mr Schiff started a similar series, entitled
"Hommage to Palladio" at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.
András
Schiff has been awarded numerous international prizes. In 2006 he
became an Honorary Member of the Beethoven House in Bonn in recognition of his
interpretations of Beethoven’s works. In 2008 he was awarded the Wigmore Hall
Medal in appreciation of 30 years of music-making at Wigmore Hall, in 2011 the
Schumann Prize awarded by the city of Zwickau. In 2012 he received the
Golden Mozart-Medaille by the International Stiftung Mozarteum, the Order pour le mérite
for Sciences and Arts, the Grosse Verdienstkreuz mit Stern der Bundesrepublik
Deutschland, and was made a Member of Honour of Vienna Konzerthaus.
In
the spring of 2011 Mr Schiff attracted attention because of his opposition to
the alarming political development in Hungary and in view of the ensuing attacks
on him from some Hungarian Nationalists, decided not to perform again in his
home country.
András Schiff has been made a Special Supernumerary Fellow of Balliol College (Oxford, UK).
UK PERFORMANCES – subject to change
2013
JULY 28 - Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral. Schubert Sonata D894 and Schubert Sonata D960, (No Interval).
