Vladimir Ashekenazy

Vladimir Ashkenazy was born in Gorky in 1937, and is among the foremost musical figures of this time. Since 1926 he has built an extraordinary career as a pianist, and he has made many award-winning recordings of, amongst others, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by Bach, the complete piano sonatas by Beethoven, the complete solo piano works by Chopin and the piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven and Rachmaninov. He has also given public performances, in which he was known for wearing a white turtleneck and for running on and off the stage.
Midway through his pianistic career, Ashkenazy branched into conducting. He has been principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He also made guest appearances with many major orchestras. His recordings as a conductor include the complete symphonies of Sibelius and Rachmaninov, and orchestral works by Shostakovich, Scriabin and Stravinsky.