Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

January 27, 1937 in Manchester, England

Death

:

August 1, 1989 in London, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

John Ogdon was a British classical pianist who was born on January 27, 1937, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the youngest of three children born to his parents, who were both amateur musicians. Ogdon showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of four. He was a prodigious talent and quickly became recognized as a child prodigy. Ogdon's parents recognized his talent and encouraged him to pursue a career in music. He began taking piano lessons with a local teacher and quickly progressed. At the age of seven, he won his first piano competition, and by the age of ten, he had performed his first concerto with an orchestra. Ogdon continued to study music throughout his childhood and adolescence. He attended the Royal Manchester College of Music, where he studied with the renowned pianist and teacher, Iso Elinson. He also studied with the pianist and composer, Lennox Berkeley, and the conductor, John Barbirolli. In 1962, Ogdon won the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, becoming the first British pianist to do so. This was a major achievement for Ogdon and helped to establish him as one of the leading pianists of his generation. He went on to perform with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Berlin Philharmonic. Ogdon was known for his virtuosic playing and his ability to tackle some of the most challenging works in the piano repertoire. He was particularly renowned for his performances of the music of Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky. He was also a champion of contemporary music and premiered works by many leading composers, including Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. Despite his success as a pianist, Ogdon struggled with mental illness throughout his life. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the early 1970s and spent several years in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Despite this, he continued to perform and record, and his recordings of the music of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky are still considered some of the finest ever made. Ogdon received many awards and honors throughout his career. In addition to his victory at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Arts in 1967 and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1987. He was also awarded honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Nottingham and the University of Manchester. Ogdon's career was cut short by his illness, and he died on August 1, 1989, at the age of 52. Despite his relatively short career, he left a lasting legacy as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. His recordings continue to be admired and studied by pianists and music lovers around the world, and his influence can be heard in the playing of many of today's leading pianists.

More....