Krystian Zimerman is known for his expressive intensity, dazzling technique, and the ability to fuse spontaneity and control, poetry and logic, to project musical ideas. His recordings have won 24 major international awards, including two Grammy nominations, the British Gramophone magazine's 1994 "Record of the Year," the French Grand Prix du Disque, and many others.

Mr. Zimerman's many awards include the first prize in the prestigious International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1975 which led to many important orchestral debuts and recitals.

He has given annual recitals in most European music capitals including London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Amsterdam, and Madrid. He is a regular guest with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the London orchestras, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. He made his American and Japanese debuts in 1978 and has subsequently returned to North America for recital tours and engagements with Riccardo Muti and The Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi and The Cleveland Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony, Lorin Maazel and the Pittsburgh Symphony, and both Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic.

His collaboration with Leonard Bernstein involved tours with the Vienna Philharmonic and gala performances of Mr. Bernstein's own compositions, among them the Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety." Mr. Zimerman performed this work under the composer's direction on tour all over the world including London, where their concert was attended by Queen Elizabeth II. He has also performed and recorded with Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa, and other leading conductors. Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski wrote a piano concerto expressly for Zimerman, which he premiered at the 1988 Salzburg Festival.

Mr. Zimerman was born in Zabrze, Poland, and by the age of six he was already absorbed in the world of the piano, having appeared on Polish television playing his own compositions. Within a year, he was studying at the Music Academy of Katowice with Andrej Jasinski, who would be his only teacher. He now lives in Switzerland and limits his appearances to about 50 concerts each season in order to further explore the repertoire and devote time to his family.

Columbia Artists Management Inc.
Personal Direction: Deborah Silverstein