Dimitris Sgouros

Dimitris Sgouros (Greek: Δημήτρης Σγούρος; born 30 August 1969)[a] is a Greek classical pianist.[1] Widely acclaimed for his prodigious musical talent as a boy, Sgouros is one of the world's leading concert pianists. [2] [3]Arthur Rubinstein remarked that he had produced "the best playing I have ever heard;"[4] However, the accuracy of this information has been challenged.[5]

Dimitris Sgouros
Born (1969-08-30) 30 August 1969
Athens, Greece
GenresClassical music
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsPiano
Years active1977–present
Websitewww.sgouros-pianist.com

Biography

Sgouros was the son of Sotirios and Marianthi Sgouros.[6] There was no notable record of musical talent in his family.[4] He began playing the piano when he was six-years old[7] and gave his first public performance a year later.[4] At the age of eight, he entered the Athens Conservatoire, studying under Maria Herogiorgiou-Sigara.[1][4] Sgouros won several competitions between 1978 and 1983, including the UNICEF competition in Bulgaria (1979), a competition in Ancona, Italy (1980), and two competitions in his home city of Athens.[4] He was also the recipient of the 1982 Leonardo da Vinci International Award.[6][8]

In 1982, at the age of 12, Sgouros made his Carnegie Hall debut.[9] He performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich.[1] In mid-1983, before he had turned 13, Sgouros graduated from the Conservatory with a Professor's Diploma, a Teacher's Diploma, a First Prize, and a Gold Medal.[4] Sgouros continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music of London and the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States of America.[1] He graduated from Royal Academy with the highest marks the institution had ever awarded.[1] Besides his musical talents, Sgouros has undertaken postgraduate studies in mathematics at the University of Oxford.[10]

Performances around the world have included concerts in Australia,[11][12] Austria, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hong Kong,[13] Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand,[14] Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.[15] Sgouros has performed for the royal families of Britain, Monaco,[16][17] and Sweden, and played under the baton of renowned conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Emil Tabakov, Kurt Masur, and Yevgeny Svetlanov.[18] He has recorded for various record labels, including Dino Music[19][20] and EMI.[21] Since March 1988, three Sgouros Festivals have been instituted, in Hamburg, Ljubljana, and Singapore.[22][23][24]

Sgouros has featured prominently in the media, having appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson[25] and a television concert with Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto.[26][27] He has also been profiled by Oscar-winning director François Reichenbach in a feature-length documentary film.[28][29]

See also

Notes

a. ^ Sgouros's name sometimes appears as Dimitrios Sgouros.

References

Citations
  1. Classical Pianist Dimitris Sgouros: Biography (c. 2008). Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  2. Tommasini, Anthony (18 April 2000). "MUSIC REVIEW; A Onetime Piano Prodigy Returns at 31 to Carnegie Hall (Published 2000)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. McLellan, Joseph. "Dimitris Sgouros' Promising Piano". www.washingtonpost.com.
  4. Crankshaw, G. (1983): Angel Debut Recording: Dimitris Sgouros – Brahms/Schumann (notes from record jacket). Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  5. "Opus,", No. 1 (1984), p. 35.
  6. World Who's Who: Dimitris Sgouros (2010). Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  7. "Dimitris Sgouros: Portrait of a Genius". www.sgourosmp3.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  8. Rotary Club Firenze: History of the Leonardo da Vinci Award Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (2009). Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  9. Rockwell, John (17 April 1982). "CONCERT: PIANIST, 12 (Published 1982)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  10. Dimitris Sgouros: A photographic portrait (c. 2009). Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  11. Newspaper articles on Dimitris Sgouros from Fairfax archive (mainly Sydney).
  12. Dimitris Sgouros Australian tours – Concert programmes & nationwide reviews
  13. Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, University of California, San Francisco – Philip Morris Collection – Dimitris Sgouros in Hong Kong (1989 Cartier Master Series)
  14. Dimitris Sgouros newspaper citations, Auckland Council Libraries
  15. Sgouros concert in Ankara – article from NTV MS-NBC (in Turkish)
  16. Hebdo Magazine feature on Sgouros (November 1984) (in French)
  17. Prince's Palace of Monaco – Summer Concerts Archived 12 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  18. "ABC Classic FM broadcast schedule – Sgouros & USSR Sym Orch/Svetlanov perform Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1". Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  19. "ABC Classic FM broadcast schedule – Dino Music album with Sgouros". Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  20. Dimitris Sgouros album on Dino Music – track listing
  21. 2011 EMI Classics release with Dimitris Sgouros – 'Essential Liszt'
  22. Concert poster – Sgouros with the USSR Festival Orchestra in Singapore, 1990
  23. Concert advertisement – The Straits Times, 21 October 1990
  24. Sgouros at Victoria Concert Hall. Concert notice, The Straits Times, 22 October 1991
  25. TV guides from Ocala Star-Banner & Chicago Tribune (1982).
  26. The Miami News TV guide (1986).
  27. – TV Special – Listings. The New York Times Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  28. Google Books citation – Musik in den Medien Retrieved on 3 January 2011.
  29. – Music News Los Angeles Times (1984). Retrieved 3 January 2011.

Bibliography
  • Tarallo, Alfredo (1993). "Sgouros, Poet of the Piano." Il Mattino. 26 July.
  • Klement, Udo (1991). "Fascinating Sgouros: Gewandhaus Orchestra with pianist Dimitris Sgouros." Leipziger Volkszeitung
  • Ardoin, John (1989). "Pianist Sgouros is an Old Master at 19." Dallas Morning News. 12 January.
  • Crutchfield, Will (1988). "Review/Concert; Young American Choruses." New York Times. April 21.
  • Ardoin, John (1987). "Sgouros Proves Electrifying – Pianist Plays Brilliantly with FW Symphony." Dallas Morning News. 20 October.
  • Guenther, Roy (1985). "Dimitris Sgouros: Flash Without Feeling." Washington Post. 17 July.
  • Rosenberg, Donald (1984). "A Gifted Pianist Who Is Not Yet 15." Philadelphia Inquirer. 27 July.
  • Finn, Robert (1984). "Young Greek Pianist Does Amazingly Well on Mozart." Cleveland Plain Dealer. 15 July.
  • Mclellan, Joseph (1984). "Dimitris Sgouros: Coming of Age." Washington Post. 9 July.
  • Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Dimitris Sgouros' Promising Piano." Washington Post. 19 July.
  • Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Pianist's Return." Washington Post. 23 April.
  • Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Bravo Sgouros." Washington Post. 16 April.
  • Thomas, R. M. (1982). "Boy Vs. Rachmaninoff." New York Times. 15 April.


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