Ivo Pogorelich

»The man is a genius« – with those words, a furious Martha Argerich resigned from the jury at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980. Ivo Pogorelich, whose bold playing filled Argerich with such enthusiasm, had been eliminated after the third round. The Croatian pianist, then only 22 years old, thus became famous because of a prize he did not win. There followed triumphant debuts around the world and an unparalleled artistic career. Pogorelich never lost sight of what was important: he trusted himself completely and – with an unconventional, unadjusted and occasionally provocative playing style – became »the« piano icon of recent decades. Things occasionally became quieter in the idolised piano dandy’s life, and there followed years of recluse. Then in 2019, Pogorelich gave an acclaimed concert at the Elbphilharmonie as part of SHMF. Die Welt’s verdict: »There is currently no one who can play the Epicurean glow of the stars more seductively, ecstatically or shamelessly.«