Grigory Sokolov — pianist with roots in the USSR
Grigory Sokolov is a Russian classical pianist born in Leningrad who is widely regarded as one of the most profound and individual pianists alive. A legendary figure in European concert halls, he refuses to make studio recordings — only authorised live recordings exist — and his recitals are events of near-religious intensity for audiences.
Tracing the roots — Leningrad
Born in Leningrad in 1950 and trained at the Leningrad Conservatory, Sokolov won the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1966 at age 16. A product of the deepest Soviet piano tradition, he chose to remain in Russia long after emigration was possible, maintaining a pure artistic practice far from commercial pressures.
Leningrad. At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.
A career defined by ambition
"I play only for the music. Never for the public. Never for myself."