Dimitris Sgouros

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Dimitris Sgouros (born August 30, 1969) is a Greek pianist.

He was born in Athens and began playing the piano at the age of six, giving his first concert at the age of seven. At the age of 12, he graduated from the Athens Conservatory with diplomas as both a pianist and piano teacher, winning the first prize and a gold medal.

In 1982, at the age of 12, he performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 at Carnegie Hall in New York, with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. He was wildly applauded with the performance being described as one of the most impressive musical debuts of the century. "The boy is a miracle of nature, a musical phenomenon sent by God," said Rostropovich.

Sgouros continued his studies at the Royal Academy of London and later at the University of Maryland, College Park in the United States. He graduated from both institutions with the highest marks. Besides his unusual musical talents, the artist is fluent in six languages and graduated with honors from Athens University's mathematics faculty.

He has performed around the world, including Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain and Turkey. He has performed for the royal families of Britain and Sweden and played under the baton of names like Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Emil Tabakov, Kurt Masur, Yevgeny Svetlanov. He has recorded for various record labels, including EMI. Since March 1988, three "Sgouros Festivals" have been instituted, in Hamburg, Ljubljana and Singapore.

[edit] Bibliography

Tarallo, Alfredo (1993). "Sgouros, Poet of the Piano." Il Mattino. July 26.
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. January 12.
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. October 20.
Guenther, Roy (1985). "Dimitris Sgouros: Flash Without Feeling." Washington Post. July 17.
Rosenberg, Donald (1984). "A Gifted Pianist Who Is Not Yet 15." Philadelphia Inquirer. July 27.
Finn, Robert (1984). "Young Greek Pianist Does Amazingly Well on Mozart." Cleveland Plain Dealer. July 15.
Mclellan, Joseph (1984). "Dimitris Sgouros: Coming of Age." Washington Post. July 9.
Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Dimitris Sgouros' Promising Piano." Washington Post. July 19.
Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Pianist's Return." Washington Post. April 23.
Mclellan, Joseph (1982). "Bravo Sgouros." Washington Post. April 16.
Thomas, R. M. (1982). "Boy Vs. Rachmaninoff." New York Times. April 15.