Dimitris Sgouros (; born 30 August 1969) is a Greek classical pianist.Classical Pianist Dimitris Sgouros: Biography (c. 2008). Retrieved 21 May 2010. Sgouros is a former child prodigy and is considered a leading concert pianist. Arthur Rubinstein said his performance was "the best playing I have ever heard".Crankshaw, G. (1983): Angel Debut Recording: Dimitris Sgouros – Brahms/Schumann (notes from record jacket). Retrieved 21 May 2010.
Biography Dimitris Sgouros is an Aromanian, who said "I am Vlach with a capital V", Vlach being the common name for the Aromanians in Greece. Sgouros is the son of Sotirios and Marianthi Sgouros.World Who's Who: Dimitris Sgouros (2010). Retrieved 22 May 2010. There was no notable record of musical talent in his family. He began playing the piano when he was six-years old and gave his first public performance a year later. At the age of eight, he entered the Athens Conservatoire, studying under Maria Herogiorgiou-Sigara. Sgouros won several competitions between 1978 and 1983, including the UNICEF competition in Bulgaria (1979), a competition in Ancona, Italy (1980), and two competitions in his home city of Athens. He was also the recipient of the 1982 Leonardo da Vinci International Award.Rotary Club Firenze: History of the Leonardo da Vinci Award (2009). Retrieved 28 December 2010.
In 1982, at the age of 12, Sgouros made his Carnegie Hall debut. He performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. In mid-1983, before he had turned 13, Sgouros graduated from the conservatory with a professor's diploma, teacher's diploma, first prize, and a gold medal. Sgouros continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music of London and the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States of America. He graduated from Royal Academy with the highest marks the institution had ever awarded. Besides his musical talents, Sgouros has undertaken postgraduate studies in mathematics at the University of Oxford.Dimitris Sgouros: A photographic portrait (c. 2009). Retrieved 22 May 2010.
Performances around the world have included concerts in Australia,Newspaper articles on Dimitris Sgouros from Fairfax archive (mainly Sydney).Dimitris Sgouros Australian tours – Concert programmes & nationwide reviews Austria, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hong Kong,Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, University of California, San Francisco – Philip Morris Collection – Dimitris Sgouros in Hong Kong (1989 Cartier Master Series) Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, New Zealand,Dimitris Sgouros newspaper citations, Auckland Libraries. Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.Sgouros concert in Ankara – article from NTV MS-NBC (in Turkish) Sgouros has performed for the royal families of Britain, Monaco,Hebdo Magazine feature on Sgouros (November 1984) Prince's Palace of Monaco – Summer Concerts and Sweden, and played under the baton of renowned conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Emil Tabakov, Kurt Masur, and Yevgeny Svetlanov. He has recorded for various record labels, including Dino MusicDimitris Sgouros album on Dino Music – track listing, M.E.I. RecordsDimitris Sgouros Live Commercial Australian Recordings and EMI.2011 EMI Classics release with Dimitris Sgouros – 'Essential Liszt' Since March 1988, three Sgouros Festivals have been instituted, in Hamburg, Ljubljana, and Singapore.Concert poster – Sgouros with the USSR Festival Orchestra in Singapore, 1990Concert advertisement – The Straits Times, 21 October 1990Sgouros at Victoria Concert Hall. Concert notice, The Straits Times, 22 October 1991
Sgouros has featured prominently in the media, having appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonTV guides from Ocala Star-Banner & Chicago Tribune (1982). and a television concert with Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto. (1986).– TV Special – Listings. The New York Times Retrieved 3 January 2011. He has also been profiled by Oscar-winning director François Reichenbach in a feature-length documentary film.Google Books citation – Musik in den Medien Retrieved on 3 January 2011.– Music News Los Angeles Times (1984). Retrieved 3 January 2011.
See also List of classical pianists List of classical pianists (recorded) List of music prodigies
Notes
a. Sgouros's name sometimes appears as Dimitrios Sgouros.
References
Citations
Bibliography Tarallo, Alfredo (1993). "Sgouros, Poet of the Piano." Il Mattino. 26 July. Klement, Udo (1991). "Fascinating Sgouros: Gewandhaus Orchestra with pianist Dimitris Sgouros." Leipziger Volkszeitung Ardoin, John (1989). "Pianist Sgouros is an Old Master at 19." Dallas Morning News. 12 January. Crutchfield, Will (1988). "Review/Concert; Young American Choruses." New York Times. April 21. Ardoin, John (1987). "Sgouros Proves Electrifying – Pianist Plays Brilliantly with FW Symphony." Dallas Morning News. 20 October. Guenther, Roy (1985). "Dimitris Sgouros: Flash Without Feeling." Washington Post. 17 July. Rosenberg, Donald (1984). "A Gifted Pianist Who Is Not Yet 15." Philadelphia Inquirer. 27 July. Finn, Robert (1984). "Young Greek Pianist Does Amazingly Well on Mozart." Cleveland Plain Dealer. 15 July. Mclellan, Joseph (1984). "Dimitris Sgouros: Coming of Age." Washington Post. 9 July. Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Dimitris Sgouros' Promising Piano." Washington Post. 19 July. Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Pianist's Return." Washington Post. 23 April. Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Bravo Sgouros." Washington Post. 16 April. Thomas, R. M. (1982). "Boy Vs. Rachmaninoff." The New York Times. 15 April.
External links Classical Pianist Dimitris Sgouros Free video and mp3 downloads of Dimitris Sgouros' playing