Alfred Brendel

Alfred Brendel (b. 1931) is an Austrian pianist who has been resident in the United Kingdom since the 1970s. Born in Czechoslavkia, Brendel's family moved first to Zagreb then to Graz in Austria. By his early twenties Brendel, who had been taught by Edwin Fischer, was already making a name for himself as a concert and a recording artist. His first significant recording contract was with the Vox label with whom he recorded his first complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas and the five Piano Concertos.

Brendel signed for the Philips label in the 1970s, at the same time he also left Austria. Brendel's area of expertise lies in the Austro-German repertoire. He is a supreme interpreter of Beethoven, recording both the Sonata and Concerto cycle twice for Philips, as well as distinguished recordings of Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. As well as a first rate musician Brendel is a musicologist of high repute. He retired in 2008.

Key Works: Beethoven: Piano Concertos, Piano Sonatas, Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Mozart: Piano Concertos, Piano Sonatas, Schubert: Piano Sonatas, Impromptus

Key Artists: James Levine, Charles Mackerras, Simon Rattle, Alban Berg Quartet