Vladimir Ashkenazy - Early years, Ashkenazy as pianist, Ashkenazy as conductor

Pianist and conductor, born in Nizhni Novgorod (formerly Gorky), W Russia. He graduated from Moscow Conservatory (1960) and in 1962 was joint winner (with John Ogdon) of the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Moscow. He left the Soviet Union in 1963 and made his London debut that year. He settled in Iceland in 1973 with his wife, an Icelandic pianist, and became musical director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London (1987–5), the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin (1989–99), and chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (1998–2003), conductor laureate from 2003. In the 2004–5 season, he took up leadership of the Tokyo NHK Symphony Orchestra. He also holds the position of music director of the European Union Youth Orchestra, with whom he tours each season.

Early years

Born in the former USSR to an Ashkenazi Jewish father and a Russian Orthodox mother, Ashkenazy began his studies at the age of six and, showing prodigious talent, was accepted at the Central Music School at eight.

Ashkenazy as pianist

Vladimir Ashkenazy is renowned for his performances of Romantic and Russian composers. He has recorded the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues of Shostakovich, Scriabin's sonatas, Chopin and Schumann's entire works for piano, Beethoven's piano sonatas, as well as the piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Bartók, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff.

Ashkenazy as conductor

Midway through his pianistic career, Ashkenazy branched into conducting.

Besides these positions, Ashkenazy is Conductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the European Union Youth Orchestra, with whom he performs regularly.

An excellent resource covering Ashkenazy's musical philosophy and opinions on many other subjects is his Beyond Frontiers (New York: Atheneum, 1985), co-authored with his agent Jasper Parrott.

Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios (1988) Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Vladimir Ashkenazy for Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (1979)

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):

Vladimir Ashkenazy for Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (1986) Vladimir Ashkenazy, Second Prize, Chopin Piano Competition, Warsaw, 1955. Vladimir Ashkenazy, First Prize, Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition, Brussels, 1956. Vladimir Ashkenazy, First Prize, Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Moscow, 1962.