A musician who is totally immersed in his craft, his interpretations are like no one else's and always come straight from the heart: musical messages of wisdom, peace, resignation and hope.

The Washington Post

Stephen Kovacevich is a master to be admired; faithful to the spirit of the music yet always individual, his pianistic artistry reside in his sculpted sound, risk-taking, utmost focus and uniquely attractive, variegated touch.

International Piano

… a temperamental, almost explosive approach that resonates with rhythmic and nervous energy but also leaves room for elegance, wit and introspection. Kovacevich’s journey is always engrossing and never less than Beethovenian.

The Financial Times

Stephen Kovacevich is widely recognized as one of the most revered artists of his generation. With an international career spanning more than six decades, he has long been one of the most sought-after performers: “A musician who is totally immersed in his craft, his interpretations are like no one else's and always come straight from the heart: musical messages of wisdom, peace, resignation and hope” (The Washington Post).

Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Kovacevich laid the foundation for his career as a concert pianist at the age of eleven. After moving to England to study with Dame Myra Hess, he made his European debut at Wigmore Hall in 1961. Since then he has performed with the world's finest orchestras and conductors, including Hans Graf, Bernard Haitink, Kurt Masur, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Simon Rattle and Georg Solti.

Stephen Kovacevich is a dedicated chamber musician who has worked with legendary artists such as Lynn Harrell, Jacqueline du Pré and Josef Suk, as well as the Amadeus and Cleveland Quartets over the course of his long career. Today Kovacevich gives concerts with violinists Nicola Benedetti, Renaud Capuçon and Alina Ibragimova, cellists Gautier Capuçon, Steven Isserlis and Truls Mørk, flutist Emmanuel Pahud, the Belcea Quartet and Martha Argerich.

Stephen Kovacevich has enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with the record labels Philips and EMI. To celebrate his 75th birthday, Decca released a limited edition 25-CD box set containing all of his work recorded for Philips. In 2008 he re-recorded Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, exactly 40 years after his first recording of this work. This Onyx recording earned him the Classic FM Gramophone Editor's Choice Award (2009) and Gramophone Magazine Top Choice Award (2015), writing: "His seasoned yet fearless command reveals something new with every listen...".

Season 2024/25