Grigory Sokolov was born in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) on 18 April 1950. He started to play piano at the age of five and, two years later, began studies with Liya Zelikhman at the Central Special School of the Leningrad Conservatory.
Sokolov’s amazing musical abilities were recognized in 1965 when he won first prize in the Russian National Competition. He made headline news beyond the Soviet Union’s borders the following year when, at 16, he became the youngest musician ever to receive the coveted Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
His live recordings from Russia acquired near-mythical status in the West, evidence of an artist at once entirely individual, like no other, yet nourished by the rich soil of the Russian tradition of piano playing.
Here is Mr. Sokolov playing the “Les Tourbillons” by Rameau:
