Maestri 2010
Schiff, Andras
Born in Budapest, Andras Schiff started piano lessons at the age of five with Elisabeth Vadasz. He continued his musical studies at the Ferenc Liszt Academy with Pal Kadosa, Gyorgy Kurtag and Ferenc Rados, and in London with George Malcolm. Recitals and special cycles form an important part of his activities, as does performing chamber music. From 1989 to 1998 he was Artistic Director of the “Musiktage Mondsee” near Salzburg; in 1995 he co-founded, with Heinz Holliger, the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte in Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland; in 1998 he established “Hommage to Palladio” at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. From 2004 to 2007 he was Artist in Residence of the Kunstfest Weimar. Mr Schiff has played with most of the major international orchestras and conductors, but nowadays performs mainly as a conductor/soloist. In 1999 he created his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca. He has been awarded numerous international prizes, including the Klavier-Festival Ruhr Prize in 2009, the Wigmore Hall Medal in 2008, and the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize in 2007. In 2006 he became an Honorary Member of the Beethoven House in Bonn.He holds the title of Honorary Professor at the Music Schools in Budapest, Detmold and Munich, and is a Special Supernumerary Fellow of Balliol (College, Oxford, UK).