Maurizio Pollini

Maurizio Pollini (1942- ), Italian pianist. Pollini made his debut at the age of 9, and by the age of 15 had caught the attention of the Italian press with a performance of Chopin's Studies. He graduated in 1959 from the Milan Conservatory, and first came to international prominence when he won the 1960 Warsaw Chopin competition as the youngest contestant. Following his victory he studied with his great compatriot Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and undertook engagements in many different countries, although he did not make his American debut until 1968. His repertoire ranges from Bach to Boulez, of whose difficult Piano Sonata No. 2 (which he has also recorded), he is a noted interpreter. His performances are known for an intellectual rigour which can make them seem detached, but he is also renowned for the purity of his manner. Besides Boulez, he is also a keen exponent of the music of Luigi Nono, and excels in Schoenberg, Bartók, and Prokofiev as much as he does in Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin. His performances of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas from 1993 onwards, many of which have also been recorded, received widespread acclaim. Since 1982 he has pursued a second career as an orchestral and operatic conductor. In 1995 he devised a series of concerts for the Salzburg Festival, with a second series in 1999.