Vladimir Ashkenazy

Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a world-renowned pianist and conductor. Born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) in 1937 into the family of pianist David Ashkenazy, he displayed early musical talent. He studied at the Central Music School under Anaida Sumbatyan and later entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1955 to study with Lev Oborin. Ashkenazy credits Sumbatyan, Oborin, and assistant Boris Zemlyansky as his most significant mentors.

He achieved major international success early in his career, winning second prize at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw and first prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 1956. In 1962, he won the first prize at the Second International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, sharing the honor with John Ogdon. Following a debut in London in 1963, Ashkenazy decided not to return to the Soviet Union. He settled in England with his wife, Icelandic pianist Thorunn Sofia Johannsdottir, and later moved to Iceland in 1969, where he began his conducting career.

As a conductor, Ashkenazy has led prestigious ensembles worldwide. He served as the principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987 to 1994 and has held leadership positions with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. He continues to tour extensively as both a pianist and conductor and has been inducted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame.

Ashkenazy's vast repertoire spans from Haydn to the early 20th century, but he is most celebrated for his interpretations of Romantic composers. He has produced a prolific discography, including the complete piano works of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin, as well as Prokofiev's piano concertos. As a conductor, he is particularly noted for his performances of Russian composers, including Shostakovich and Prokofiev, as well as the symphonies of Sibelius and Brahms. He is a seven-time Grammy Award winner.

He holds Icelandic citizenship (since 1969) and received Russian citizenship in 2015. He has been awarded the Order of the Falcon by Iceland and resides in Switzerland. He has five children, including the pianist Vovka Ashkenazy and the clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy.

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