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 5 December 1956) is a famous Polish pianist, conductor, and music teacher. 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 start his amazing career.
After winning the Chopin Piano Competition, Krystian Zimerman began working with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. He has since played with many top orchestras and famous conductors around the world. These include Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, and Herbert von Karajan. He is especially known for playing music by Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven. He has also received many awards, like the Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994) and the Praemium Imperiale (2022).
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Becoming a Piano Star
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, learning from a teacher named Andrzej Jasiński.
In 1973, Krystian won a top prize at the Ludwig van Beethoven International Piano Competition. This was held in Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia. His big break came when he won the 1975 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. This competition is very famous for pianists.
His Musical Journey
After his big win, Krystian Zimerman played with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1976. A famous pianist named Arthur Rubinstein invited him to Paris to work together. They became lifelong friends and Rubinstein became his mentor. Krystian first played in the United States with the New York Philharmonic in 1979. He has traveled all over the world, giving concerts and making many recordings.
Since 1996, Krystian Zimerman has also 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.
Krystian Zimerman is best known for playing Romantic music. However, he plays many different types of classical pieces. He also supports new music by living composers. For example, Witold Lutosławski wrote his Piano Concerto especially for Zimerman. Krystian has recorded this piece twice.
Some of his most famous recordings include:
- Concertos by Grieg and Schumann with Herbert von Karajan.
- Brahms concertos with Leonard Bernstein.
- Chopin's piano concertos, which he sometimes conducted himself while playing.
- Beethoven's Third, Fourth, and Fifth Piano Concertos with Leonard Bernstein.
- Solo piano pieces by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and Schubert.
Krystian Zimerman has worked with many great conductors and artists. Some of them include Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Carlo Maria Giulini, and Simon Rattle.
Life Outside the Stage
In 1981, Krystian Zimerman moved to Röschenz in Switzerland. He later became a Swiss citizen. He is married to Maria, who is a violinist. They have two children, Klaudia and Ryszard. Krystian balances his time between his family, giving concerts, and playing chamber music (music for small groups of instruments). He also helps edit the piano music of Władysław Szpilman for a music publisher.
Awards and Honours
Krystian Zimerman has received many important awards and honours for his musical talent:
- 1st Prize at the Voivod-wide Prokofiev Competition (1974; Poland)
- 1st Prize at the IX International Chopin Piano Competition (1975; Poland)
- Accademia Musicale Chigiana Award (1985; Italy)
- Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994; Denmark)
- Honorary doctor of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (2005; Poland)
- 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)
- Diapason d'Or (2015; France)
- Honorary doctor of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (2015; Poland)
- Praemium Imperiale (2022; Japan)
- Gramophone Classical Music Award (2023; UK) – Piano Category (Szymanowski Piano Works)
See also
In Spanish: Krystian Zimerman para niños
