Ivo Pogorelich was born in Belgrade on 20 October 1958. After his classical
training at the Moscow Conservatory, he took master classes from Aliza
Kezeradze, whom he married in 1980. In 1978 he won the Casagrande
Competition in Italy and in 1980 the International Music Competition in
Montreal. At the International Chopin Competition in 1980, his spectacular
failure to win the first prize made him famous overnight. Martha Argerich,
member of the jury, protested: "Pogorelich is a genius!" Since then,
Pogorelich has been pursuing a brilliant international career. His often
controversial and always stunning interpretations confirm the originality
of his talent and intellect. The artist founded the "Ivo Pogorelich
Festival" in Bad Wörishofen in 1989, an event dedicated to the promotion of
young artists. In 1993 he launched the Ivo Pogorelich Piano Competition in
California. Our program was recorded at the Castello Reale in Racconigi
near Turin, one of the residences of the Italian royal family.
