Krystian Zimerman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Krystian Zimerman
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Zimerman in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Born | 5 December 1956 Zabrze, Poland |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, conductor, pedagogue |
| Instruments | Piano |
Krystian Zimerman (born December 5, 1956) is a famous Polish concert pianist. Many people consider him one of the best pianists of his time. In 1975, he won the important IX International Chopin Piano Competition. This win helped launch his amazing career.
After winning the Chopin Competition, he started working with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. He has played with many top orchestras and famous conductors around the world. Some of these conductors include Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, and Herbert von Karajan. He is especially known for playing music by Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven. Krystian Zimerman has also received many awards for his musical talent.
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About Krystian Zimerman
Krystian Zimerman was born in Zabrze, a city in southern Poland. He started playing the piano when he was just five years old. His father, who was also a pianist, encouraged him. He studied music at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. His teacher there was Andrzej Jasiński.
Early Success and Career
In 1973, Krystian Zimerman won a top prize at the Ludwig van Beethoven International Piano Competition. This competition took place in Hradec Králové, which was then in Czechoslovakia. His big break came when he won the 1975 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. This victory opened doors for his international career.
He first performed with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1976. The famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein invited him to Paris to work together. This meeting led to a lasting friendship and Rubinstein became his mentor. Zimerman made his first appearance in the United States with the New York Philharmonic in 1979. Since then, he has traveled widely and made many recordings.
Teaching and Special Projects
Since 1996, Krystian Zimerman has taught piano at the Music Academy in Basel, Switzerland. In 1999, he created the Polish Festival Orchestra. He did this to celebrate 150 years since the death of the famous composer Frédéric Chopin.
Zimerman is well-known for playing Romantic music. However, he also plays many other types of classical pieces. He supports new music by living composers. For example, the composer Witold Lutosławski wrote his Piano Concerto especially for Zimerman. Zimerman has recorded this piece twice.
His famous recordings include concertos by Grieg and Schumann with Herbert von Karajan. He also recorded Brahms concertos with Leonard Bernstein. He has recorded Chopin's piano concertos, even conducting one of them himself. Other recordings feature music by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Ravel. He has also recorded solo piano works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and Schubert.
Personal Life
In 1981, Krystian Zimerman moved to Röschenz, a town in Switzerland. He later became a Swiss citizen. He is married to Maria, who is a violinist. They have two children, Klaudia and Ryszard. He balances his time between his family, giving concerts, and playing chamber music. Chamber music is played by a small group of musicians. Zimerman also helps edit the piano music of Władysław Szpilman.
Awards and Honours
Krystian Zimerman has received many important awards and honours throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- 1st Prize at the IX International Chopin Piano Competition (1975; Poland)
- Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994; Denmark)
- National Order of the Legion of Honour (2005; France)
- Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2010; Poland)
- Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2013; Poland)
- Praemium Imperiale (2022; Japan)
- Gramophone Classical Music Award (2023; UK) for his Szymanowski Piano Works.
Selected Recordings
Most of Krystian Zimerman's recordings have been released by Deutsche Grammophon. He has a special agreement with them to record his music for his entire life.
Some of his notable studio albums include:
- Chopin: Piano Concertos (recorded multiple times with different orchestras and conductors)
- Mozart: Piano Sonatas
- Brahms: Piano Sonatas and Concertos
- Schumann and Grieg: Piano Concertos
- Liszt: Piano Concertos and solo works
- Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos
- Ravel: Piano Concertos
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos
- Works by Lutosławski, Debussy, Schubert, Bartók, Bacewicz, and Szymanowski.
He has also released live albums and video recordings of his performances.
See also
In Spanish: Krystian Zimerman para niños
