Artist
Dénes Várjon
Dénes Várjon (Budapest, 23 February 1968) is a Hungarian pianist. He won various awards, including the prestigious Kossuth Prize.
Although Dénes Várjon was fascinated as a child by the beautiful piano of his parents, a heirloom from his grandmother who gave music lessons, he only learned how to play that instrument at the age of seven. Until he was eleven, playing the piano remained merely a hobby and he did not practice often, but then he saw the light and music became the most important thing in his life. He took an entrance exam when he was twelve and was admitted to the preparatory lessons at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. From the age of sixteen he studied full-time at the academy, with the composer György Kurtág, Sándor Falvai and Ferenc Rados. From 1985 onwards, he regularly participated in masterclasses by conductor and pianist András Schiff in Austria, Italy and England. In 1991 he graduated and in the same year he won first prize in the Géza Anda competition in Zurich, with a performance of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3.
Várjon frequently collaborates with orchestras such as Budapest Festival Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchester, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Russian National Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
Although Dénes Várjon was fascinated as a child by the beautiful piano of his parents, a heirloom from his grandmother who gave music lessons, he only learned how to play that instrument at the age of seven. Until he was eleven, playing the piano remained merely a hobby and he did not practice often, but then he saw the light and music became the most important thing in his life. He took an entrance exam when he was twelve and was admitted to the preparatory lessons at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. From the age of sixteen he studied full-time at the academy, with the composer György Kurtág, Sándor Falvai and Ferenc Rados. From 1985 onwards, he regularly participated in masterclasses by conductor and pianist András Schiff in Austria, Italy and England. In 1991 he graduated and in the same year he won first prize in the Géza Anda competition in Zurich, with a performance of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3.
Várjon frequently collaborates with orchestras such as Budapest Festival Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchester, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Russian National Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
Upcoming concerts
Full calendar →
On Klassiek Centraal
3 articles
CD releases
All releases →
Never miss what moves in classical music
Subscribe to our newsletter.