Dimitris Sgouros facts for kids

Dimitris Sgouros (Greek: Δημήτρης Σγούρος) was born on August 30, 1969. He is a famous Greek classical pianist. When he was a boy, Dimitris was known as a child prodigy because of his amazing musical talent. Many people consider him one of the best concert pianists in the world. The famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein once said that Dimitris Sgouros produced "the best playing I have ever heard."

Who is Dimitris Sgouros?

Dimitris Sgouros comes from a group of people called Aromanians. His parents are Sotirios and Marianthi Sgouros. No one in his family was known for musical talent before him.

He started playing the piano when he was just six years old. A year later, he gave his very first public performance. When he was eight, he joined the Athens Conservatoire. There, he studied music with Maria Herogiorgiou-Sigara.

Between 1978 and 1983, Dimitris won many music contests. These included a UNICEF competition in Bulgaria in 1979. He also won a competition in Ancona, Italy, in 1980. Plus, he won two more contests in his hometown of Athens. In 1982, he received the Leonardo da Vinci International Award.

His Amazing Education

In 1982, when he was only 12 years old, Dimitris Sgouros played for the first time at Carnegie Hall. This is a very famous concert hall in New York City. He performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. He played with the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Mstislav Rostropovich.

In mid-1983, just before his 13th birthday, Dimitris finished his studies at the Athens Conservatoire. He earned a professor's diploma, a teacher's diploma, a first prize, and a gold medal.

Dimitris continued his music studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He also studied at the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States. He earned the highest grades ever given by the Royal Academy. Besides music, Dimitris Sgouros also studied advanced mathematics at the University of Oxford.

Concerts Around the World

Dimitris Sgouros has played concerts in many countries. These include Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. He has performed for royal families, like those in Britain, Monaco, and Sweden.

He has played with many famous conductors. Some of these include Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, and Kurt Masur. Dimitris has also made recordings for different music companies, like Dino Music and EMI. Since 1988, special "Sgouros Festivals" have been held in places like Hamburg, Ljubljana, and Singapore.

Dimitris in the Media

Dimitris Sgouros has appeared on television many times. He was on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also performed Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto in a TV concert. An Oscar-winning director named François Reichenbach made a full-length movie about him.

See also

• List of classical pianists
• List of classical pianists (recorded)
• List of music prodigies