Grigory Lipmanovich Sokolov is a concert pianist, often considered one of the greatest pianists alive. He was born April 18, 1950 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Biography

Sokolov began studying the piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 at the age of five, entering the Leningrad Conservatory

Saint Petersburg Conservatory

The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a music school in Saint Petersburg. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty members and 1,400 students.-History:...

 at age seven to study with Leah Zelikhman

Leah Zelikhman

Leah Ilyinichna Zelikhman was a Russian Jewish Soviet pianist and pedagogue.After studying with Leonid Nikolayev, she has taught at the Central Special Music School of the Leningrad Conservatory for many years. Among her pupils were Grigory Sokolov, Valery Sigalevitch, and Pavel Gililov....

, later studying there with Moisey Khalfin. At age twelve he gave his first major recital in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, in a concert of works by Bach

Bạch

Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...

, Beethoven, Schumann

Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....

, Chopin, Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn

Mendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...

, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt

Liszt

Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...

, Debussy, and Shostakovich at the Philharmonic Society. At age sixteen he came to international attention when the jury at the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition

International Tchaikovsky Competition

The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, Russia for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 30 years of age, and singers between 19 and 32 years of age...

, headed by Emil Gilels

Emil Gilels

Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...

, unanimously awarded him the Gold Medal. It seems this may have also been a surprising result: "16-year old Grisha Sokolov who finally became the winner of that competition was not taken seriously by anyone at that time."
In fact, despite the international prestige of his Tchaikovsky Competition success, Sokolov's international career began to take off only towards the end of the 1980s. Reasons for this have been contradictory. It has been said that his not defecting, and the limited travelling allowed under the Soviet Regime were to blame. This is contradicted by the fact that Sokolov gave US tours in 1969, 1971, 1975, and 1979, as well as numerous recitals elsewhere in the world such as Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. "Sokolov's life as a touring soloist is quite overcrowded. He tours a great deal in both his motherland and abroad."

The 1980s seem to have proved something of a stumbling-block to Sokolov's career in the US. "In the beginning, I played a lot of single concerts in America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, in 1969, '71 and, I think, 1975. After that there was a break in relationships between the U.S. and the Soviet Union--they were disconnected by the Afghanistan War

Soviet war in Afghanistan

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...

. One tour in the U.S. was canceled in 1980. Then all cultural agreements between the two countries were cancelled." In addition, during the breakup of the former Soviet Union, Sokolov played no concerts outside Russia. He is now a well known figure in concert halls around Europe, but much less so in the U.S. Sokolov produces very few recordings; his last last CD was released in 1995.

In March 2009 it was reported that Sokolov canceled a planned concert in London because of British visa requirements demanding that all non-EU workers provide fingerprints and eye prints with every visa application (he also cancelled his 2008 concert on seemingly similar grounds). Sokolov protested that such requirements had echoes of Soviet oppression.

Influences

When asked, Sokolov cited the following pianists as having inspired him in his years of studies:
"Of those whom I heard on the stage I'd like to name first of all Emil Gilels. Judging by the records, it was Rachmaninoff, Sofronitsky, Gould, Solomon [and] Lipatti. As to esthetics, I feel most close to Anton Rubinstein."

Repertoire

The 10 CDs (2 of Bach, 2 of Beethoven, 2 of Schubert, 2 of Chopin, 1 of Brahms, and 1 of Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev; all recorded by the label Opus 111) and 1 DVD (a live recital in Paris) that are currently (2011) available for Sokolov constitute a snap-shot of the repertoire that Sokolov has so far performed. A more complete repertoire listing is as follows:

• ARAPOV

1. Concerto for violin, piano and percussion
2. Etude-Scherzo
3. Sonatas No.s 1 & 2

• BACH
  Johann Sebastian Bach
  Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
  
  

1. Art of Fugue
2. English Suite No.2
3. Fantasy & Fugue in a minor, BWV 904
4. French Suite No.3
5. Goldberg Variations
6. Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971
7. Overture in the French style, BWV 831
8. Partitas Nos. 2, 4 & 6
9. Sonata in A-min after Reinken’s Hortus Musicus 1-5, BWV760
10. Toccata in E minor, BWV 914
11. Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, 1-8
12. Well-Tempered Clavier Book II

BACH

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...

-SILOTI Prelude in b-min

BACH-BRAHMS

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...

 Chaconne for the left-hand BWV1004

BACH-BUSONI

Ferruccio Busoni

Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...

 "Ich ruf zu dir, herr Jesus Christ" BWV639

BACH-BUSONI "Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein" BWV734

• BEETHOVEN
  Ludwig van Beethoven
  Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
  
  

1. Sonatas No.s 2, 3, 4, 7, 9-11, 13-17 & 27-32
2. Diabelli Variations
3. Concertos Nos. 1 & 5
4. Rondos Op.51 & Op.129

• BRAHMS
  Johannes Brahms
  Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
  
  

1. Sonata No.1 in C major, Op.1
2. Sonata No.3 in F minor, Op.5
3. 4 Ballades Op.10
4. Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15
5. Variations on a Theme by Handel Op. 24
6. 2 Rhapsodies Op.79
7. Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major, Op.83
8. 8 Fantasies Op.116
9. 6 Klavierstücke, Op.118 - no.1 Intermezzo in A minor; no.2 Intermezzo in A major; no.6 Intermezzo in E flat minor
10. 3 Intermezzi Op.117

• BYRD
  William Byrd
  William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
  
  

1. Pavan & Galliard MB52
2. Alman MB11
3. Prelude MB12
4. Clarifica me Pater (II) MB48
5. Qui Passe MB19
6. March before the Battle MB93
7. Battle MB94
8. Galliard for Victory MB95

CARVHALO

João de Sousa Carvalho

João de Sousa Carvalho was the foremost Portuguese composer of his generation.Born in Estremoz, he studied music from 1753 at the Colégio dos Santos Reis in Vila Viçosa, then from 1761 at the Conservatorio di S Onofrio in Naples. In 1766 his setting of Metastasio’s operatic libretto La Nitteti was...

-SOKOLOV Toccata and Andante in G

• CHOPIN
  Frédéric Chopin
  Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
  
  

1. Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op.52
2. Concertos No.s 1 & 2
3. Etude Op.10 No.8
4. Etudes Op.25
5. Fantasie-Impromptu Op.66
6. Fantasy Op.49
7. Impromptus Op.29, Op.36 & Op.51
8. Mazurkas Op.7 No.2, Op.17 No.4, Op.30 No.s 1-4, Op.33 No.4, Op.50 No.s 1-3, Op.63 No.s 1-3, Op.68 #No.s 2-4, Op.posth
9. Nocturnes Op.32 No.s 1 & 2, Op.48 No.s 1 & 2, Op.62 No.s 1&2, Op.72, Op.posth
10. Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
11. Polonaises Op.26 No.s 1 & 2, Op.40 No.2, Op.44, Op.53, Op.posth.
12. Preludes Op.28
13. Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3
14. Waltz No.17 Op.posth

• COUPERIN
  Couperin
  The Couperin family were a musical dynasty of professional composers and performers. They were the most prolific family in French musical history, active during the Baroque era...
  
  

1. Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins
2. Pieces de clavecin Book III Ordre XIII & Ordre XVIII

• DEBUSSY
  Claude Debussy
  Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
  
  

1. Canope (from Preludes, Book II, No.10)

• FRANCK
  César Franck
  César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
  
  

1. Prelude, Chorale & Fugue

• FROBERGER
  Johann Jakob Froberger
  Johann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. He was among the most famous composers of the era and influenced practically every major composer in Europe by developing the genre of keyboard suite and contributing greatly to the exchange of musical...
  
  

1. Toccata FbWV101
2. Canzon FbWV301
3. Fantasia FbWV201
4. Ricercar FbWV411
5. Capriccio FbWV508
6. Partita FbWV610

• HAYDN
  Joseph Haydn
  Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
  
  

1. Piano Sonatas Hob XVI: 23, 37 & 34

• LISZT
  Franz Liszt
  Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
  
  

1. La Campanella
2. Rhapsodie Espagnole

• KOMITAS
  Komitas Vardapet
  In 1950s his manuscripts were also transferred from Paris to Yerevan.Badarak was first printed in 1933 in Paris and first recorded onto a digital media in 1988 in Yerevan. In collecting and publishing so many folk songs, he saved the cultural heritage of Western Armenia that otherwise would have...
  
  

1. Six Dances

• MOZART
  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
  
  

1. Concertos No.s 23 & 24
2. Sonatas KV.280, KV.310, KV.332 & KV.457
3. Fantasy KV.475

• PROKOFIEV
  Sergei Prokofiev
  Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
  
  

1. Concerto No.1
2. Sonatas No.s 3, 7 & 8

• RACHMANINOV
  Sergei Rachmaninoff
  Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
  
  

1. Concertos No.s 2 & 3
2. Preludes Op2 No.3, Op.23 No.s 1-8 & 10, Op.32 No.5

• RAMEAU
  Jean-Philippe Rameau
  Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
  
  

1. Suite in G
2. "Le rappel des oiseaux" & "Tambourin" from Suite in E minor

• RAVEL
  Maurice Ravel
  Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
  
  

1. Gaspard de la nuit
2. Oiseaux Tristes (From Miroirs)
3. Prelude
4. Sonatine
5. Tombeau de Couperin

• SAINT-SAENS
  Camille Saint-Saëns
  Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
  
  

1. Concerto No.2

• SEIXAS
  Carlos Seixas
  José António Carlos de Seixas, , was a Portuguese composer, the son of the cathedral organist, Francisco Vaz and Marcelina Nunes.Seixas was born in Coimbra...
  
  -SOKOLOV Toccatas in D & C

• SCHOENBERG
  Arnold Schoenberg
  Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
  
  

1. Two Pieces Op.33

• SCHUBERT
  Franz Schubert
  Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
  
  

1. Impromptus D.935 No.s 1 & 2
2. Moment Musicaux D.780
3. Sonatas D537, D.664, D.784, D.850, D.894, D.958, D.959 & D.960
4. Wanderer Fantasy

SCHUMANN

Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....

1. Carnaval Op.9
2. Sonata No.1 in F-sharp minor, Op.11
3. Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op.22
4. Sonata No.3 in F minor, Op.14
5. Kreisleriana Op.16
6. Fantasie Op.17
7. Arabesque Op.18
8. Humoresque Op.20
9. Novelletten Op.21 nos. 2, 7 & 8
10. Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op.22
11. 4 Klavierstücke (Scherzo, Gigue, Romance and Fughette) Op.32
12. Variations in E-flat on an Original Theme, WoO 24, "Geister Variations"

SCRIABIN

Alexander Scriabin

Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...

1. Caresse Dansee Op.57 No.2
2. Dèsir Op.57 No.1
3. Enigme Op.52 No.2
4. Etudes Op.2 No.1, Op.8, Op.42 No.s 4 & 5
5. Feuillet d’Album Op.45 No.1
6. Poème fantastique Op.45 No.2
7. Poèmes Op.32 No.2, Op.69 No.s 1 & 2
8. Prelude & Nocturne Op.9
9. Preludes Op.33 No.s 1-4, Op.45 No.3, Op.49 No.2 & Op.51 No.2
10. Sonatas No.s 1, 3, 4, 9 & 10
11. Vers la flamme Op.72

TCHAIKOVSKY

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...

1. Concerto No.1

STRAVINSKY

Igor Stravinsky

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....

1. Petrouchka

External links

• Grigory Sokolov General Management
• Site dedicated to Grigory Sokolov