He took his first music lessons from Anna Pavlovna Kantor who is well known as Evgeny Kissin?s teacher. He continued his studies with Valentina Pavlova, herself a former pupil of the great teacher Felix Blumenfeld who shaped the Russian pianistic school through such pianists as Simon Barere and Vladimir Horowitz. Leonid gave his first recital in 1998 in Sainte-Etienne, France. It received exceptional reviews: "Despite his youth, Leonid Egorov is a complete master of his art," the prominent music critic Fabrice Pincet wrote [read this concert review] The concerts Leonid gave in Moscow have also come in for high praise: "Only a truly profound pianist could express the very essence of the music like this", wrote the critic of the Russian Musical Gazette about his performance of Beethoven?s Sonata No. 32. About his Chopin recital, another critic wrote: "Leonid Egorov?s performance embodied the romantic spirit of Chopin?s time, reminded the listener of the grand masters of the past, of Raoul Koczalski, Josef Hofmann, Vladimir de Pachmann".
Leonid dedicated his first album to Claudio Arrau, which is not surprising: Arrau has had an enormous influence on the young musician. The expressiveness and enchantment of every instant of Arrau?s music-making reveal new secrets in even the most frequently performed pieces. Leonid Egorov?s playing produces the same impression. Inspiration is this musician?s natural state of mind. As the poet Alexander Pushkin remarked, "inspiration is about being fully receptive to external experiences and passionate about interpreting them". In other words, for Leonid Egorov, there is no such thing as the perfect performance. He is fully receptive to new experiences which he integrates within himself and then releases through sound, through the stunning and amazing playing which is his gift.
This album includes Ludwig van Beethoven?s Sonata No. 32, op. 111, in C Minor; Franz Schubert?s Klavierstück No. 1, in E-flat Minor, D. 946; and Frédéric Chopin?s Scherzo No. 1, op. 20, in B Minor.
Listeners already familiar with other performances of these works are likely to gain new insights and enhance their understanding of what they thought they already knew. Thanks to the pianist?s powerful creativity, they will notice for the first time previously hidden details, the unique expressiveness of each moment, new and original interpretations of the music. Listeners who are less familiar with these works will discover the vast world of romantic music and will undoubtedly enjoy being guided through it with the help of the dazzling artistry and inspiration of Leonid Egorov, one of the great pianists of our day.
