Grigory Sokolov, piano

Seventy-four-year-old Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov is one of the top masters of the black and white keyboard, and has long been acclaimed by many critics as the best pianist in the world. He has given concerts with all the world's most distinguished orchestras, but after a few years he has found that his musical vision is best expressed through piano recitals. Since then, he has only performed about 70 times a year, taking time for each concert programme to be thoughtfully composed and fully immersed in it before presenting it to the audience.