Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 24 – Piotr Anderszewski

Piotr Anderszewski, of Polish-Hungarian descent, was born in 1969 and studied in Warsaw, France and California. He made the headlines for the first time at the 1990 Leeds Piano Competition. Many observers were convinced that he would win first prize with his great piano playing. But in the semi-finals, in the middle of the performance of Webern’s op. 27, he was suddenly so disappointed with his own performance that he simply stopped playing and left the competition. A year later, after his triumphant debut at London’s Wigmore Hall, his international reputation was established. Since then he has created an enthusiastic fan base worldwide. Anderszewski’s charismatic presence has often been commented on, as has his film star appearance. Nevertheless, Anderszewski has remained surprisingly sober and realistic.

A preliminary highlight in Piotr Anderszewski’s meteoric career was the presentation of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award as Instrumentalist of the Year in London in May 2001. His recording of the Diabelli Variations was also nominated for a Gramophone Award in 2001.