# Krystian Zimerman

Krystian Zimerman (born 5 December 1956) is a Polish concert pianist, conductor and pedagogue who has been described as one of the greatest pianists of his generation. In 1975, he won the IX International Chopin Piano Competition.
Following the success at the Chopin Piano Competition, he began his collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic and has since performed with leading orchestras around the world as well as many prominent conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle. He is especially known for his performances of compositions by Mozart, Chopin, Brahms and Beethoven. He is also the recipient of many awards and honours including Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994), Legion of Honour (2005), Order of Polonia Restituta (2013) and Praemium Imperiale (2022).

## Biography

Zimerman was born in Zabrze, Southern Poland, and started to play the piano at the age of five encouraged by his father, who was also a pianist. He studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice under Andrzej Jasiński. In 1973, he won top prize at the Ludwig van Beethoven International Piano Competition in Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia. His international career was launched when he won the 1975 Warsaw International Chopin Piano Competition. He performed with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1976, conducted by Herbert Blomstedt. Arthur Rubinstein invited him to Paris to work with him, which lead to a life-long friendship and mentorship. Zimerman debuted in the United States with the New York Philharmonic in 1979. He has toured widely and made a number of recordings. Since 1996, he has taught piano at the Music Academy in Basel, Switzerland. In 1999, Zimerman created the Polish Festival Orchestra Archived 15 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin's death.
Zimerman is best known for his interpretations of Romantic music, but has performed a wide variety of classical pieces and is a supporter of contemporary music. Witold Lutosławski wrote his Piano Concerto for Zimerman, who has recorded it twice. Among his best-known recordings are the concerti of Grieg and Schumann with Herbert von Karajan; the Brahms concerti with Leonard Bernstein; the piano concerti of Chopin, one recording conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini and a later one conducted by himself at the keyboard; the Third, Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos of Beethoven under Bernstein (Zimerman himself led the Vienna Philharmonic from the keyboard in Beethoven's First and Second Concertos); the first and second piano concerti of Rachmaninoff; the piano concerti of Liszt with Seiji Ozawa, the piano concerti of Ravel with Pierre Boulez, and solo piano works by Chopin, Liszt (including one of the most virtuosic performances of the famous Piano Sonata in B minor), Debussy and Schubert. In 2006, Zimerman recorded Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (DG 477 5413; Limited Edition DG 477 6021).
Zimerman has collaborated with conductors and artists such as Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Herbert von Karajan, Kirill Kondrashin, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Stanisław Skrowaczewski and Wolfgang Sawallisch.

## Criticism of US policy

On 26 April 2009, Zimerman vowed to his audience at Los Angeles's Walt Disney Concert Hall that, in protest at America's placement of a missile defense shield in Poland, this would be his final appearance in the United States. He had made a similar comment in 2006, stating he would not return until George W. Bush was out of office. As of September 2023 he has not made any further appearances in the United States. Part of his disenchantment with the USA may be the increased security at US airports, which makes it difficult to bring his piano into the country. In incidents in 2001 and 2006, one of his Steinway pianos was completely destroyed and another one damaged by security staff at New York JFK airport.

## Personal life

In 1981, Zimerman moved to Röschenz in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, where he also became a Swiss citizen with Röschenz as his place of origin. According to conflicting sources, he's still living in Röschenz, or in Binningen, also near Basel. He married Maria (née Drygajło), a violinist, with whom he has two children: Klaudia and Ryszard. He divides his time among family, concerts, and performances of chamber music. Zimerman is an editor of the piano music of Władysław Szpilman for Boosey & Hawkes.

## Selected awards and honours

* 1st Prize at the Voivod-wide Prokofiev Competition (1974; Poland)
* 1st Prize at the IX International Chopin Piano Competition (1975; Poland)
* Accademia Musicale Chigiana Award (1985; Italy)
* Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1994; Denmark)
* Honorary doctor of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (2005; Poland)
* National Order of the Legion of Honour (2005; France)
* Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2010; Poland)
* Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2013; Poland)
* Diapason d'Or (2015; France)
* Honorary doctor of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (2015; Poland)
* Praemium Imperiale (2022; Japan)
* Gramophone Classical Music Award (2023; UK) – Piano Category (Szymanowski Piano Works)

## Discography

Most of Zimerman's recordings have been released by Deutsche Grammophon, with which he has an exclusive lifelong contract.

### Studio albums

| Date of Release | Date of Recording | Album Details | Collaborating Artists | Record Label | Catalogue No. |
| 1975 | | Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Jerzy Maksymiuk conducting Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra | Polskie Nagrania Muza | |
| 1977 | | Chopin: Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise & other piano works | | Deutsche Grammophon | 2530 826 |
| 1978 | | Chopin: 14 Waltzes | | Deutsche Grammophon | 2530 965 |
| 1978 | January 1978 | Mozart: Piano Sonatas KV280, 281, 311 & 330 | | Deutsche Grammophon | 2531 052 |
| 1979 | | Mozart: Violin Sonatas KV 547, 404 & 481 | Kaja Danczowska (violin) | Wifon | |
| 1979 | November 1978 | Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Carlo Maria Giulini conducting Los Angeles Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | 2531 125 |
| 1980 | November 1979 | Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 | Carlo Maria Giulini conducting Los Angeles Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | 2531 126 |
| 1980 | June 1979 | Brahms: Piano Sonatas No. 1 & 2 | | Deutsche Grammophon | 2531 252 |
| 1981 | July 1980 | Franck: Violin Sonata / Szymanowski: Mythes | Kaja Danczowska (violin) | Deutsche Grammophon | 431 469-2 |
| 1982 | September 1981 | Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Grieg: Piano Concerto Op. 16 | Berlin Philharmonic (conducted by Herbert von Karajan) | Deutsche Grammophon | 439 015-2 |
| 1983 | | Brahms: Piano Sonata No.3, Scherzo Op. 4, Balladen Op. 10 | | Deutsche Grammophon | 423 401-2 |
| 1984 | November 1983 | Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Vienna Philharmonic (conducted by Leonard Bernstein) | Deutsche Grammophon | 431 207-2 |
| 1985 | October 1984 | Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 | Vienna Philharmonic (conducted by Leonard Bernstein) | Deutsche Grammophon | 415 359-2 |
| 1986 | | Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Kyrill Kondrashin conducting Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Deutsche Grammophon | 419 054-2 |
| 1988 | April 1987 | Liszt: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2; Totentanz; Piano Sonata S.178; Nuages gris s.199; La notte S.602; La lugubre gondola S.200 no.2; Funérailles | Seiji Ozawa conducting Boston Symphony Orchestra | Deutsche Grammophon | 423 571-2 |
| 1988 | July 1987 | Chopin: 4 Ballades; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Fantasie in F | | Deutsche Grammophon | 423 090-2 |
| 1989 | July 1988 | Strauss: Violin Sonata Op. 18 / Respighi: Violin Sonata | Kyung-Wha Chung (violin) | Deutsche Grammophon | 457 907-2 |
| 1991 | February 1990 | Schubert: Impromptus D.899 & D.935 | | Deutsche Grammophon | 423 612-2 |
| 1991 | March 1991 | Liszt: Sonata in B minor & other piano works | | Deutsche Grammophon | 431 780-2 |
| 1992 | November 1989 & March 1990 | Lutosławski: Piano Concerto; Chain 3; Novelette | BBC Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Witold Lutosławski) | Deutsche Grammophon | 431 664-2 |
| 1992 | September 1989 | Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 & 4 | Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | 429 749-2 |
| 1992 | September 1989 | Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" | Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | 429 748-2 |
| 1992 | December 1991 | Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2 | Himself conducting Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | 437 545-2 |
| 1994 | August 1991 | Debussy: Preludes | | Deutsche Grammophon | 435 773-2 |
| 1998 | November 1994 (Tracks 1–11) July 1996 (Track 12) | Ravel: Piano Concerto; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Concerto for the Left Hand in D major | The Cleveland Orchestra (Tracks 1–11) London Symphony Orchestra (Track 12) (conducted by Pierre Boulez) | Deutsche Grammophon | 449 213-2 |
| 1999 | August 1999 | Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 | Himself conducting Polish Festival Orchestra | Deutsche Grammophon | 459 684-2 |
| 2003 | December 1997 (No.1) December 2000 (No.2) | Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 | Boston Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Seiji Ozawa) | Deutsche Grammophon | 459 643-2 |
| 2005 | November 2001 | Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Chicago Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Pierre Boulez) | Deutsche Grammophon | |
| 2006 | September 2003 | Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Berliner Philharmonic (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) | Deutsche Grammophon | 477 5413 |
| 2011 | February 2009 | Bacewicz: Piano Sonata No. 2; Quintets Nos. 1 & 2 | Kaja Danczowska (violin) Agata Szymczewska (violin) Ryszard Groblewski (viola) Rafal Kwiatkowski (cello) | Deutsche Grammophon | 477 8351 |
| 2015 | February 2013 | Lutoslawski: Piano Concerto (1987–88), Symphony No. 2 (1965 -67) | Berliner Philharmonic (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) | Deutsche Grammophon | 479 4518 |
| 2017 | September 2016 | Schubert: Piano Sonatas D.959 & D.960 | | Deutsche Grammophon | 479 7588 |
| 2018 | June 2018 | Bernstein: Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety" | Berliner Philharmonic (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) | Deutsche Grammophon | 483 5539 |
| 2021 | July 2021 | Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos | London Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle) | Deutsche Grammophon | 483 9971 |
| 2022 | September 2022 | Szymanowski: Piano Works | | Deutsche Grammophon | |

### Live albums

| Date of issue | Album details | Collaborating artists | Record label |
| 1977 | Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 "Pathétique" Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.3, Op.28 Bacewicz: Piano Sonata No.2 | | Polskie Nagrania Muza |
| 1986 | Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 (recorded in 1979) | Kyrill Kondrashin conducting Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Deutsche Grammophon |
| 2021 | Beethoven complete Piano Concertos | London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle | Deutsche Grammophon |

### Video releases

| Date of issue | Video details | Collaborating artists | Record label |
| 1984 | Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon |
| 1985 | Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 | Leonard Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon |
| 1995 | Chopin: 4 Ballades; Fantasie; Barcarolle; Scherzo No. 2 / Schubert: 4 Impromptus Op. 90 | | Deutsche Grammophon |