Evgeny Kissin

By two-years-old, Evgeny Kissin was playing the piano and, by 12, the child prodigy was performing Chopin concertos with the Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra. Guided by teacher Anna Pavlovna Kantor and honing his skills at the Gnessin State Music College, his virtuosity came to wider attention when he toured Europe and Japan in the late 1980s. He debuted in New York with conductor Zubin Mehta before giving a recital at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1990. He later gave the first solo recital in the history of The Proms and won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2006, 2009 and 2010, as well making acclaimed recordings of works by Liszt, Beethoveen, Schubert, Scriabin and his beloved Chopin. Growing from a shy, sheltered child prodigy into a world-renowned master, Kissin's dazzling finger work, deep understanding of classical music and natural, energetic flair continue to spellbind audiences and critics.