One of the world's most recognized and respected pianists, András Schiff, will open the 74th Dubrovnik Summer Festival music programme on Thursday, 13 July, in the Rector’s Palace atrium.
Sir Schiff, a pianist and conductor, is best known for his exceptional interpretations of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Schumann, for which he received multiple awards. With an unparalleled artistic vision and virtuosity, he announces the performance programme at the concert itself, making his it an even more interesting experience. Despite being faithful to his own Bösendorfer piano, at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival he will play on a Steinway, on which many top musicians made music, and history.
Sir András Schiff was born in Budapest in 1953. He received his first piano lessons at the age of five by Elisabeth Vadász. He later continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest with Prof. Pál Kadosa, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados and with George Malcolm in London. Piano recitals are an important part of his activity, especially the cyclical performances of the piano works of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Bartók. Since 2004, he has performed the complete cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas in chronological order in more than 20 cities, and the live recordings from the Zurich Tonhalle on CD (ECM) received the highest awards. For his recording Ghost Variations with works by Robert Schumann (ECM), Sir András Schiff received the International Classical Music Award 2012 in the category "Solo Instrument. Recording of the year". Sir András Schiff performs with most of the internationally important orchestras and conductors. One of his main focuses is on performances of the piano concertos of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven under his direction. In 1999, he founded his own chamber orchestra, the "Cappella Andrea Barca", which he works with closely as conductor and soloist, as he does with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Sir András Schiff has been a passionate chamber musician since his early youth. Since 1998, the concert series "Omaggio a Palladio" has been held at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza under his direction. Sir András Schiff has been awarded several international prizes. He was recognised for his exceptional standing as a Beethoven interpreter in June 2006 by being elected an honorary member of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn. In September 2008, Sir András Schiff received the Wigmore Hall Medal for his 30 years of musical activity. Sir András Schiff is also the recipient of the 2011 Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau. In January 2012, the artist was awarded the Golden Mozart Medal of the International Mozarteum Foundation. The following June, he received the "Order pour le mérite for Sciences and Arts". In the same year he was appointed as an honorary member of the Wiener Konzerthaus. Sir András Schiff was awarded the Grosse Verdienstkreuz mit Stern of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2012. In December 2013, he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in London for his outstanding musical work, the highest award of this society. In July 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Leeds and in March 2018 by His Royal Highness Prince Charles as President of the Royal College of Music. In June 2014, he was appointed Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music. In June 2022, Sir András Schiff was awarded the Bach Medal of the City of Leipzig as "one of the most important Bach interpreters of our time".
Tickets for the concert are available via the festival website www.dubrovnikfestival.hr or the service www.ulaznice.hr, at the box office in the Festival Palace (Od Sigurate 1) every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and in front of the DTS building (Vukovarska St) from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Photo (c) Lukas Beck