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Krystian Zimerman

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Not to be confused with dressage rider Christian Zimmermann.
Krystian Zimerman
Zimerman in 2018
Background information
Born (1956-12-05) 5 December 1956 (age 67)
Zabrze, Poland
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Pianist, conductor, pedagogue
InstrumentPiano

Krystian Zimerman (born 5 December 1956) is a Polish concert pianist, conductor and pedagogue who has been described as one of the greatest pianists of his generation.[1][2] In 1975, he won the IX International Chopin Piano Competition.

Following the success at the Chopin Piano Competition, he began his collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic and has since performed with leading orchestras around the world as well as many prominent conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle.[3] He is especially known for his performances of compositions by Mozart, Chopin, Brahms and Beethoven. He is also the recipient of many awards and honours including Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994), Legion of Honour (2005), Order of Polonia Restituta (2013) and Praemium Imperiale (2022).

Biography

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Zimerman was born in Zabrze,[4] Southern Poland, and started to play the piano at the age of five encouraged by his father, who was also a pianist.[5] He studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice under Andrzej Jasiński. In 1973, he won top prize at the Ludwig van Beethoven International Piano Competition in Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia.[6] His international career was launched when he won the 1975 Warsaw International Chopin Piano Competition. He performed with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1976, conducted by Herbert Blomstedt.[7] He debuted in the United States with the New York Philharmonic in 1979. He has toured widely and made a number of recordings. Since 1996, he has taught piano at the Music Academy in Basel, Switzerland. In 1999, Zimerman created the Polish Festival Orchestra Archived 2020-08-15 at the Wayback Machine to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin's death.[8]

Zimerman is best known for his interpretations of Romantic music, but has performed a wide variety of classical pieces and is a supporter of contemporary music. Witold Lutosławski wrote his Piano Concerto for Zimerman, who has recorded it twice. Among his best-known recordings are the concerti of Grieg and Schumann with Herbert von Karajan; the Brahms concerti with Leonard Bernstein; the piano concerti of Chopin, one recording conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini and a later one conducted by himself at the keyboard; the Third, Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos of Beethoven under Bernstein (Zimerman himself led the Vienna Philharmonic from the keyboard in Beethoven's First and Second Concertos); the first and second piano concerti of Rachmaninoff; the piano concerti of Liszt with Seiji Ozawa, the piano concerti of Ravel with Pierre Boulez, and solo piano works by Chopin, Liszt (including one of the most virtuosic performances of the famous Piano Sonata in B minor), Debussy and Schubert. In 2006, Zimerman recorded Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (DG 477 5413; Limited Edition DG 477 6021).

Zimerman has collaborated with conductors and artists such as Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Herbert von Karajan, Kirill Kondrashin, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Stanisław Skrowaczewski and Wolfgang Sawallisch.[9]

Criticism of US policy

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On 26 April 2009, Zimerman vowed to his audience at Los Angeles's Walt Disney Concert Hall that, in protest at America's placement of a missile defense shield in Poland, this would be his final appearance in the United States.[2][10] He had made a similar comment in 2006, stating he would not return until George W. Bush was out of office.[11] As of September 2023 he has not made any further appearances in the United States.[12] Part of his disenchantment with the USA may be the increased security at US airports, which makes it difficult to bring his piano into the country. In incidents in 2001 and 2006, one of his Steinway pianos was completely destroyed and another one damaged by security staff at New York JFK airport.[13][14][15][16][17]

Personal life

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In 1981, Zimerman moved to Röschenz in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, where he also became a Swiss citizen with Röschenz as his place of origin.[18] According to conflicting sources, he's still living in Röschenz,[19] or in Binningen, also near Basel.[20][21] He married Maria (née Drygajło), a violinist, with whom he has two children: Klaudia and Ryszard.[22] He divides his time among family, concerts, and performances of chamber music. Zimerman is an editor of the piano music of Władysław Szpilman for Boosey & Hawkes.

Selected awards and honours

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Discography

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Most of Zimerman's recordings have been released by Deutsche Grammophon, with which he has an exclusive lifelong contract.

Studio albums

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Date of Release Date of Recording Album Details Collaborating Artists Record Label Catalogue No.
1975 Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Jerzy Maksymiuk conducting
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra 		Polskie Nagrania Muza
1977 Chopin: Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise & other piano works Deutsche Grammophon 2530 826
1978 Chopin: 14 Waltzes Deutsche Grammophon 2530 965
1978 January 1978 Mozart: Piano Sonatas KV280, 281, 311 & 330 Deutsche Grammophon 2531 052
1979 Mozart: Violin Sonatas KV 547, 404 & 481 Kaja Danczowska (violin) Wifon
1979 November 1978 Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Carlo Maria Giulini conducting
Los Angeles Philharmonic 		Deutsche Grammophon 2531 125
1980 November 1979 Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 Carlo Maria Giulini conducting
Los Angeles Philharmonic 		Deutsche Grammophon 2531 126
1980 June 1979 Brahms: Piano Sonatas No. 1 & 2 Deutsche Grammophon 2531 252
1981 July 1980 Franck: Violin Sonata / Szymanowski: Mythes Kaja Danczowska (violin) Deutsche Grammophon 431 469-2
1982 September 1981 Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Grieg: Piano Concerto Op. 16 Berlin Philharmonic
(conducted by Herbert von Karajan) 		Deutsche Grammophon 439 015-2
1983 Brahms: Piano Sonata No.3, Scherzo Op. 4, Balladen Op. 10
Deutsche Grammophon 423 401-2
1984 November 1983 Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 Vienna Philharmonic
(conducted by Leonard Bernstein) 		Deutsche Grammophon 431 207-2
1985 October 1984 Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 Vienna Philharmonic
(conducted by Leonard Bernstein) 		Deutsche Grammophon 415 359-2
1986 Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Kyrill Kondrashin conducting
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 		Deutsche Grammophon 419 054-2
1988 April 1987 Liszt: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2; Totentanz; Piano Sonata S.178; Nuages gris s.199; La notte S.602; La lugubre gondola S.200 no.2; Funérailles Seiji Ozawa conducting
Boston Symphony Orchestra 		Deutsche Grammophon 423 571-2
1988 July 1987 Chopin: 4 Ballades; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Fantasie in F Deutsche Grammophon 423 090-2
1989 July 1988 Strauss: Violin Sonata Op. 18 / Respighi: Violin Sonata Kyung-Wha Chung (violin) Deutsche Grammophon 457 907-2
1991 February 1990 Schubert: Impromptus D.899 & D.935 Deutsche Grammophon 423 612-2
1991 March 1991 Liszt: Sonata in B minor & other piano works Deutsche Grammophon 431 780-2
1992 November 1989 & March 1990 Lutosławski: Piano Concerto; Chain 3; Novelette BBC Symphony Orchestra
(conducted by Witold Lutosławski) 		Deutsche Grammophon 431 664-2
1992 September 1989 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 & 4 Leonard Bernstein conducting
Vienna Philharmonic 		Deutsche Grammophon 429 749-2
1992 September 1989 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" Leonard Bernstein conducting
Vienna Philharmonic 		Deutsche Grammophon 429 748-2
1992 December 1991 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2 Himself conducting
Vienna Philharmonic 		Deutsche Grammophon 437 545-2
1994 August 1991 Debussy: Preludes Deutsche Grammophon 435 773-2
1998 November 1994 (Tracks 1–11)
July 1996 (Track 12) 		Ravel: Piano Concerto; Valses nobles et sentimentales;
Concerto for the Left Hand in D major 		The Cleveland Orchestra (Tracks 1–11)
London Symphony Orchestra (Track 12)
(conducted by Pierre Boulez) 		Deutsche Grammophon 449 213-2
1999 August 1999 Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Himself conducting
Polish Festival Orchestra 		Deutsche Grammophon 459 684-2
2003 December 1997 (No.1)
December 2000 (No.2) 		Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Boston Symphony Orchestra
(conducted by Seiji Ozawa) 		Deutsche Grammophon 459 643-2
2005 November 2001 Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 1 Chicago Symphony Orchestra
(conducted by Pierre Boulez) 		Deutsche Grammophon
2006 September 2003 Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 Berliner Philharmonic
(conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) 		Deutsche Grammophon 477 5413
2011 February 2009 Bacewicz: Piano Sonata No. 2; Quintets Nos. 1 & 2 Kaja Danczowska (violin)
Agata Szymczewska (violin)
Ryszard Groblewski (viola)
Rafal Kwiatkowski (cello) 		Deutsche Grammophon 477 8351
2015 February 2013 Lutoslawski: Piano Concerto (1987–88), Symphony No. 2 (1965 -67) Berliner Philharmonic
(conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) 		Deutsche Grammophon 479 4518
2017 September 2016 Schubert: Piano Sonatas D.959 & D.960 Deutsche Grammophon 479 7588
2018 June 2018 Bernstein: Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety" Berliner Philharmonic
(conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) 		Deutsche Grammophon 483 5539
2021 July 2021 Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos London Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) Deutsche Grammophon 483 9971
2022 September 2022 Szymanowski: Piano Works Deutsche Grammophon

Live albums

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Date of issue Date of recording Cover art Album details Collaborating artists Record label Catalogue no.
1977 Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 "Pathétique"
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.3, Op.28
Bacewicz: Piano Sonata No.2 		Polskie Nagrania Muza
1986 Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
(recorded in 1979) 		Kyrill Kondrashin conducting
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 		Deutsche Grammophon
2021 Beethoven complete Piano Concertos London Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Sir Simon Rattle 		Deutsche Grammophon

Video releases

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Date of issue Date of filming Video details Collaborating artists Record label Catalogue no.
1984 Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic Deutsche Grammophon
1985 Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic Deutsche Grammophon
1995 Chopin: 4 Ballades; Fantasie; Barcarolle; Scherzo No. 2 / Schubert: 4 Impromptus Op. 90 Deutsche Grammophon

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "In praise of ... Krystian Zimerman". The Guardian. London. 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
  2. ^ a b Swed, Mark (27 April 2009). "Review: Krystian Zimerman's controversial appearance at Disney Hall". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
  3. ^ "Krystian Zimerman". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Krystian Zimerman | Biography". Archived from the original on 2022-04-24. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  5. ^ "Krystian Zimerman". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Krystian Zimerman". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Berliner Philharmoniker Blomstedt-Thielemann-Kavakos". Berliner-philharmoniker.de. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  8. ^ Culture.pl (15 October 2015). "Krystian Zimerman - Biography | Artist". Culture.pl. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Krystian Zimerman". Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Krystian Zimerman, declares US boycott in protest at Disney Hall in Los Angeles". Ireport.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  11. ^ Gumbel, Andrew (28 April 2009). "Classical music and opera Polish pianist stops show with anti-US tirade". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  12. ^ "Tour Dates (Kristian Zimerman) - accessed 26 November 2019". Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Piano great says he won't return to U.S. - today". Today.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  14. ^ Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles (28 April 2009). "Polish pianist stops show with anti-US tirade | Music". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  15. ^ "klassik.com : Pianist Krystian Zimerman unterbricht Konzert wegen Smartphone-Mitschnitt aus dem Publikum". Magazin.klassik.com. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  16. ^ Vasagar, Jeevan (4 June 2013). "Pianist Krystian Zimerman storms out of concert in protest at being filmed on phone". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Krystian Zimerman speaks". Timesargus.com. 20 October 2006. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  18. ^ Lutz, Kiki (2012-09-17). "Zimerman, Krystian (1956-)". Lexikon des Jura (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  19. ^ "Musik-Tipp: Krystian Zimerman". Wochenblatt. Amtlicher Anzeiger für das Schwarzbubenlandund das Laufental (in German). 2022-12-15. p. 19. Archived from the original on 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  20. ^ Anthony Tommasini (13 April 1997). "Sidestepping The Celebrity Circuit" Archived 2020-03-21 at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times.
  21. ^ "Polska Muza - Siedem Odsłon". Polskamuza.eu. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  22. ^ Marta Polańska. "Po prostu Krystin Zimerman". polskamuza.eu (in Polish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "Krystian Zimerman". Culture.pl. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Krystian Zimerman odznaczony przez prezydenta" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  25. ^ "UROCZYSTOŚĆ INAUGURACJI ROKU AKADEMICKIEGO 2015/2016". Chopin.edu.pl. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Krystian Zimerman wins the 2022 Praemium Imperiale". 15 September 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Gramophone's Piano Award 2023". Retrieved 17 March 2024.
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