Rafał Blechacz, piano

Winner of the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award in 2014, Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz has been praised as “one of the pianistic giants of our time” (The Sunday Times).The music of Chopin resonates strongly with Blechacz and he is recognized for his intelligent and expressive interpretations of the composer’s works, yet his abundant virtuosity and profound musicianship have incited equal acclaim for his performances of works by an increasingly wide range of composers, from Bach and Beethoven to Liszt, Debussy, and Szymanowski. In 2005, Blechacz was named the uncontested winner of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition, becoming the first Polish musician to win the competition in 30 years. In addition to first prize, he was awarded all of the special prizes of the competition, a feat no other pianist has achieved. He has performed in Europe, Japan, and North America to critical acclaim and ensured himself a huge following among piano aficionados. Born in 1985, Blechacz began piano lessons at the age of five. Three years later he enrolled at the Arthur Rubinstein State Music School in Bydgoszcz and went on to study at the city’s Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music, from which he graduated in 2007. An exclusive recording artist for Deutsche Grammophon since 2006, Mr. Blechacz has recorded five CDs for this prestigious label.