Sir András Schiff

An enemy of emphasis, demanding and aristocratic, a renowned interpreter of Mozart and Schubert for forty years, Sir András Schiff is part of the lineage of philosophers and architects of the keyboard.

Sir András Schiff is one of three prodigious Hungarian pianists—along with Zoltan Kocsis and Deszö Ranki—to emerge in the early 1970s. A student of Ferenc Rados and a winner of the Tchaikovsky and Leeds competitions, he quickly established himself on the most important international stages and recorded an extensive discography for Decca and then ECM. His extremely vast and diverse repertoire is based primarily on the music of Bach, of whom he is an eminent interpreter—and which he makes a point of playing at the start of each day. Among his contemporaries, his compatriot György Kurtag commands his full attention. Rigorous and thoughtful, his interpretations are based on great erudition, while his masterclasses demonstrate his commitment to transmitting his knowledge. Today, he shines a spotlight on Mozart's genius and Schubert's art of melancholy.