Grigory Sokolov
Russian and Spanish pianist, esteemed for Baroque to modern repertoire.
Grigory Lipmanovich Sokolov, a pianist who holds both Russian and Spanish citizenship, was born in Leningrad on 18 April 1950. Widely regarded as one of the finest living pianists, his repertoire stretches from Baroque composers like Bach, Couperin, and Rameau to modern figures such as Schoenberg and Arapov. He performs frequently across Europe, though not in the UK.
Sokolov’s father, Lipman Girshevich Sokolov, was Jewish; his mother was Galina Nikolayevna Zelenetskaya. He started piano lessons at age five and, at seven, entered the Leningrad Conservatory’s special school for children, studying under Leah Zelikhman. He later continued at the Conservatory with Moisey Khalfin. At twelve, he gave his first major recital in Moscow, performing works by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt, Debussy, and Shostakovich at the Philharmonic Society. At sixteen, he won the gold medal at the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, becoming its youngest ever winner—a result that surprised many, as he was not taken seriously at the time.
Despite his early competition success, Sokolov’s international career did not fully take off until the late 1980s. Some have speculated this was due to his refusal to defect and restricted travel under the Soviet regime, but he did tour the United States in 1969, 1971, 1975, and 1979, and gave many recitals elsewhere, including Finland and Japan. His touring schedule was described as overcrowded. The 1980s proved a hurdle for his U.S. career: after a 1980 tour was canceled due to the Afghanistan war, all cultural agreements between the U.S. and Soviet Union were suspended. During the breakup of the Soviet Union, he played no concerts outside Russia. Today, he is well known in European concert halls but far less so in America. He released very few recordings, none between 1995 and 2015, but in 2014 signed with Deutsche Grammophon to release live performances. In 2015, a two-CD live Salzburg recital appeared, featuring Mozart sonatas, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, and encores by Scriabin, Chopin, Rameau, Purcell, and Bach. In August 2022, he was granted Spanish nationality. His playing is noted for its precision, especially in ornaments, and he is reluctant to finalize his concert program until shortly before the performance.
In March 2009, Sokolov canceled a planned London concert to protest British visa requirements that demanded fingerprints and eye prints from non-E.U. workers, calling the policy reminiscent of Soviet oppression. He had also canceled a 2008 concert for similar reasons. In 2015, after learning that British music journalist Norman Lebrecht had received the Cremona Music Award the previous year, Sokolov refused his own 2015 award, stating on his website that it was shameful to be listed alongside Lebrecht. This appeared to reference personal remarks Lebrecht had made about Sokolov’s family.
Sokolov has named several pianists as inspirations: among those he heard live, Emil Gilels; from recordings, Rachmaninoff, Sofronitsky, Glenn Gould, Solomon, and Lipatti. Aesthetically, he feels closest to Anton Rubinstein.
In 2006, he explained his move away from concerto performances, citing insufficient rehearsal time and the difficulty of finding a conductor whose approach matches his own. He noted that repeating solo programs across venues allows him to deepen interpretations, whereas each concerto engagement starts from scratch.
His recordings first appeared on the Opus 111 label (later acquired by Naïve Records), then on Melodiya from 2012 to 2015, and since 2015 on Deutsche Grammophon.
- born
- 18 April 1950
- field
- Pianist
- nationality
- Russian, Spanish
- known_for
- Precision of his playing, particularly ornaments, and for a reluctance to decide
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Sokolov began studying the piano at the age of five and entered the Leningrad Conservatory's special school for children at the age of seven to study with Leah Zelikhman. After graduating, he continued at the Conservatory with Moisey Khalfin. At 12, he gave his first major recital in Moscow, in a concert of works by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt, Debussy and Shostakovich at the Philharmonic Society. At age 16, he came to international attention when he was awarded the gold medal in the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, making him the youngest ever winner. It seems this may have been a surprising result: '16-year old Grisha Sokolov, who finally became the winner of that competition, was not taken seriously by anyone at that time.'
Despite his success at the Tchaikovsky Competition, Sokolov's international career only began to develop towards the end of the 1980s. It has been speculated that this was because of his not defecting and the limited travelling allowed under the Soviet regime, but this is refuted by the fact that Sokolov gave U.S. tours in 1969, 1971, 1975 and 1979, as well as numerous recitals elsewhere in the world, e.g. Finland and Japan. A scheduled tour in the U.S. was cancelled in 1980 due to the Afghanistan war and the cancellation of cultural agreements. During the breakup of the former Soviet Union, Sokolov played no concerts outside Russia. He is now a well-known figure in concert halls around Europe, but much less so in the U.S. In August 2022, he was granted Spanish nationality. Sokolov released relatively few recordings, and released none for the 20 years between 1995 and 2015. In 2014 he signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon to release recordings of some of his live performances, and in 2015 he released a 2-CD live Salzburg recital featuring two sonatas by Mozart, Chopin's cycle of 24 Preludes, and encore pieces by Scriabin, Chopin, Rameau, Purcell and Bach. He cited the following pianists as having inspired him: 'Of those whom I heard on the stage I'd like to name first of all Emil Gilels. Judging by the records, it was Rachmaninoff, Sofronitsky, Glenn Gould, Solomon [and] Lipatti. As to aesthetics, I feel most close to Anton Rubinstein.'
Reader's Guide
Grigory Sokolov's significance lies in his status as a highly esteemed pianist whose career trajectory reflects both artistic integrity and the geopolitical constraints of the late Soviet era. His early triumph at the Tchaikovsky Competition did not immediately lead to a global career, partly due to the Afghanistan war and subsequent breakdown of U.S.-Soviet cultural agreements. His reluctance to record for two decades (1995–2015) and his insistence on live recordings for Deutsche Grammophon underscore a commitment to performance over studio perfection. His repertoire, spanning from Baroque to modern composers, and his noted precision in ornaments, particularly in live settings, have earned him a devoted European following. His refusal to accept the Cremona Music Award in 2015 due to Norman Lebrecht's prior receipt, and his cancellation of London concerts over visa requirements, illustrate a principled, sometimes contentious, public stance. His legacy is that of a pianist who prioritized interpretive depth and personal ethics over commercial expansion, particularly in the U.S. and UK.
Did You Know?
- Sokolov won the gold medal in the 1966 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition at age 16, making him the youngest ever winner.
- He released no recordings for 20 years between 1995 and 2015.
- In August 2022, he was granted Spanish nationality.
- He cancelled a planned concert in London in March 2009 because of British visa requirements, which he said had echoes of Soviet oppression.
- He refused the Cremona Music Award in 2015 because Norman Lebrecht had received it the previous year, calling it 'shame to be in the same award-winners list with Lebrecht'.
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