Maurizio Pollini (born January 5, 1942) is an Italian classical pianist. Read Full Bio ↴Maurizio Pollini (born January 5, 1942) is an Italian classical pianist.
He was born in Milan, the son of the Italian rationalist architect Gino Pollini. Maurizio studied piano first with Carlo Lonati, until the age of 13, then with Carlo Vidusso, until he was 18. He received a diploma from the Milan Conservatory and won the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1960, after which he studied under Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Since the mid-1960s, he has given recitals and appeared with major orchestras in Europe, the United States, and the Far East. He made his American debut in 1968 and his first tour of Japan in 1974.
Regarded as one of the greatest pianists of our age, he is especially noted for his performances of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Schoenberg, Webern and for championing modern composers such as Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Important modern works were composed for Pollini, notably Nono’s …sofferte onde serene…, Giacomo Manzoni’s Masse: omaggio a Edgard Varèse and Salvatore Sciarrino's fifth sonata. He displays an absolute technical sovereignty over the piano, but is sometimes criticized for his emotional conservatism. He has conducted both opera and orchestral music, sometimes leading the orchestra from the keyboard in concertos. His first recordings for Deutsche Grammophon in 1971 included Stravinsky’s Three Movements from “Petrushka” and Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata and is still considered a landmark of twentieth century piano discography. Since then he has been one of Deutsche Grammophon's leading pianists. In 1985, on occasion of Bach's tricentennial, he performed the complete first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. In 1987 he played the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos in New York with the Vienna Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado and received on this occasion the orchestra’s Honorary Ring. In 1993/1994 he played his first complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycles in Berlin and Munich and later also in New York, Milan, Paris, London and Vienna. At the Salzburg Festival in 1995 he inaugurated the “Progetto Pollini”, a series of concerts in which old and new works are juxtaposed. An analogous experience will be done at Carnegie Hall in 2000/2001 with “Perspectives: Maurizio Pollini”. In 1996 he received the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. In 2001 his recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations won the Diapason d’or. In 2002 Deutsche Grammophon released a 13 CD commemorative edition to celebrate the pianist's 60th birthday.
In 2007, Pollini received the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) for his Deutsche Grammophon recording of Chopin nocturnes.
He was born in Milan, the son of the Italian rationalist architect Gino Pollini. Maurizio studied piano first with Carlo Lonati, until the age of 13, then with Carlo Vidusso, until he was 18. He received a diploma from the Milan Conservatory and won the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1960, after which he studied under Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Since the mid-1960s, he has given recitals and appeared with major orchestras in Europe, the United States, and the Far East. He made his American debut in 1968 and his first tour of Japan in 1974.
Regarded as one of the greatest pianists of our age, he is especially noted for his performances of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Schoenberg, Webern and for championing modern composers such as Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Important modern works were composed for Pollini, notably Nono’s …sofferte onde serene…, Giacomo Manzoni’s Masse: omaggio a Edgard Varèse and Salvatore Sciarrino's fifth sonata. He displays an absolute technical sovereignty over the piano, but is sometimes criticized for his emotional conservatism. He has conducted both opera and orchestral music, sometimes leading the orchestra from the keyboard in concertos. His first recordings for Deutsche Grammophon in 1971 included Stravinsky’s Three Movements from “Petrushka” and Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata and is still considered a landmark of twentieth century piano discography. Since then he has been one of Deutsche Grammophon's leading pianists. In 1985, on occasion of Bach's tricentennial, he performed the complete first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. In 1987 he played the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos in New York with the Vienna Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado and received on this occasion the orchestra’s Honorary Ring. In 1993/1994 he played his first complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycles in Berlin and Munich and later also in New York, Milan, Paris, London and Vienna. At the Salzburg Festival in 1995 he inaugurated the “Progetto Pollini”, a series of concerts in which old and new works are juxtaposed. An analogous experience will be done at Carnegie Hall in 2000/2001 with “Perspectives: Maurizio Pollini”. In 1996 he received the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. In 2001 his recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations won the Diapason d’or. In 2002 Deutsche Grammophon released a 13 CD commemorative edition to celebrate the pianist's 60th birthday.
In 2007, Pollini received the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) for his Deutsche Grammophon recording of Chopin nocturnes.
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Maurizio Pollini Lyrics
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sltflsh
I love how he makes it clear from the start that he does not like to be labelled a Chopin specialist. In fact his Bartok 1 and 2 are superb!!
aetos
I've been adding more Pollini to my collection. Not one of these albums leaves me feeling the slightest bit "empty"; each work at his hands gives me a feeling of total satisfaction as if I just filled my stomach at the most eloquent restaurant. When Maurizio plays "con fuoco" (with fire), it's a far cry from an all too common misnomer of "cold"! His control of that fire is immaculate; he also has an innate ability to move one to tears. Other favourites: Martha Argerich; Vladimir Ashkenazy;
Perkeno
Very interesting conversation with one of the greatest pianists of our time.
kylenashbaker
What a fantastic interview, I love his views, as I agree with a lot of them. He plays so beautifully.
Playlisting some of the Finest Recordings
I seriously doubt the seriousness of serious listeners who say that Pollini's playing is cold. His is the perfect combination of romantic fire and intellectual rigor. And more, the sheer musical refinement that is the result of that combination places him, I think, in the list of the greatest pianists in piano history. I agree with nkbeach that Ashkenazy can only be second class, that his name does not belong in the same list with Rachmaninoff or Horowitz or Gilels or Pollini.
mike bk
I agree... Ashkenazy is the second class pianist !! Pollini probably is one of the greatest pianists. In my opinion the greatest
ramrambatti
C'mmon NY times! How you compare Ashkenazy with Pollini at the same level!? I have been to Ashkenazy's concert more than 10 times. Ashkenazy is the second class pianist! (though I believe he is terribly underestimated as a conductor like Barenboim.) I admire Pollini. He is a magician of legato......nothing sounds more beautiful after hearing his play at least in this world.......
Associazione Orion
Grazie Maestro!!!
Javier Serralta San Martin
like he says chopin is magic, mystery and love
ramrambatti
I understand what NY times meant to write. However, I still go to concert or buy CDs just because Pollini plays. "Pollini plays" That is all I need to know. (if it does not say, I will definitely know by hearing the note anyway.) I will Fly to NY next year three times just hear Pollini. It is Chopin programme. Wish it is something else. The better he shines, the better piece he plays. I would not listen to Chopin unless Argerich or Pollini plays.