George Emmanuel Lazaridis

Over the past 25 years, George Emmanuel Lazaridis’ appearances have received great critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike, recognizing him as one of the finest pianists of his generation. His recordings have been rapturously received by the press – „special enough to be beyond comparison” (BBC Music Magazine, Adrian Jack), and “such drama, power and concentration, that they hold their own even if you stop to consider celebrated recordings of Horowitz, Argerich, Brendel and Zimmerman” (Gramophone Magazine, Bryce Morrison).

His recording of the Liszt Sonata in B minor and Paganini Caprices for Linn Records were recently selected among the top 50 best releases of the decade by “The Pianist” magazine and his release of Schumann’s “Papillons” on SOMM has been ranked amongst the top five best performances on recording, alongside keyboard giants such as S. Richter and C. Arrau.

Born in Greece in 1978, Lazaridis enjoys a flourishing international career that has taken him from the US and Mexico to Europe, Russia, Egypt and the Middle East. He has performed in major venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, the St Petersburg Philharmonia, Palais des Beaux Arts, Festspielhaus, Cologne’s Philharmonie, Stockholm’s Konserthuset, Cité de la Musique, Musikverein, etc.

He has performed with leading orchestras such as the St Petersburg Philharmonic, Hamburg Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Warsaw and Munich Symphony orchestras, the Wiener Kammer Orchester etc., under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, Ingo Metzmacher, Yuri Temirkanov, Nikolai Alexeev, Yoel Levi, Theodor Guschlbauer, and others.
He has collaborated with renowned ensembles and artists such as the Medici Quartet, the Ysaye Quartet, the Vienna Octet, the BT Scottish Ensemble, Leonidas Kavakos, Michael Tilson Thomas and Cyprien Katsaris and has performed in many international festivals.

Lazaridis has also built a wide reputation as a composer and pedagogue. He has received commissions from various Foundations and Organizations world-wide and given masterclasses at Trinity Laban, the BCU, the Manhattan School of Music, Kutztown University etc.

Lazaridis has also been the cofounder of successful cultural structures such as the Music Village International Festival, the ADAP International Organization and the highly acclaimed „Kyklos Ensemble”. He has pioneered the foundation of a young orchestral musicians association and Symphony Orchestra „MOYSA”, embracing the ideals of El Sistema, in partnership with the EUYO, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and EU’s ‚Creative Europe’ platform.