(b Wiesenberg, 5 Jan 1931). Austrian pianist. He studied in Zagreb and Sofia and at the Vienna Academy; Edwin Fischer was an early influence. His début was in Graz (1948) and in 1962 he gave all the Beethoven sonatas in London; his American début was in 1963. He is most admired for his thoughtful, sensitive interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, complete cycles of whose sonatas he has given widely, and Liszt.

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1931–, Austrian pianist. He debuted publicly in 1948 and, after winning a prize at the Busoni competition in Bolzano, Italy, in 1949, embarked upon a distinguished career as a soloist, ultimately performing with most of the world's major orchestras and conductors. Brendel, who has lived in London since the early 1970s, is particularly known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms, and Liszt. He has been acclaimed for his profound understanding of musical architecture, for his combination of lyricism and rigor, and for the intellectual and emotional depth of his playing. He has published two collections (1976, 1990) of essays, which are combined with other writings in Alfred Brendel on Music (2001).

Bibliography

See Me of All People: Alfred Brendel in Conversation with Martin Meyer (2002).