Martha Argerich
A piano prodigy—her life, career and greatest achievements
Origins
Argentine-born pianist Martha Argerich was born on the 5th of June, 1941 in Buenos Aires. Argerich is considered a musical prodigy—some claiming this an understatement. She started playing the piano at just three years old. Two years later, she studied under her teacher Vincenzo Scaramuzza who taught her the concepts of lyricism and feeling. Eventually, she performed her debut concert at eight years old, where she played a concerto written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Argerich’s family moved to Europe in 1955. Here, she studied in Austria with renowned pianist Friedrich Gulda. She was also under the tutelage of Stefan Askenase, helping take her already-considerable skill even further. As a result of her training, sixteen-year-old Argerich won two prestigious competitions within three weeks: the Geneva International Music award and the Ferruccio Busoni International award.
During the Busoni competition, Argerich met another future mentor, the celebrated Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. As expected, all these years of tutelage under several of the world’s greatest pianists would jumpstart Argerich’s international career in earnest.
Career
Shortly after winning the 7th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw during 1965, Argerich’s professional step into the classical music world began. She made her first recording during this time; interpreting works by classical masters Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Ravel, and Prokofiev.
The unique technique displayed in these recordings helped Argerich make a name for herself as a pianist. She was even compared to the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. This reverence, however, did not come without critique. Some critics still remark that Argerich has exaggerated dynamics and tempo. But many others would agree that her playing is characterised by passionate and unique sound—a trait hard to find in other pianists of her generation…
