World-class piano virtuoso
French pianist Cyprien Katsaris receives the Franz Liszt Honorary Prize
The pianist Cyprien Katsaris will receive the Franz Liszt Honorary Prize 2023. The NEW LISZT FOUNDATION and the Klassik Stiftung Weimar will award the prize on Thursday, May 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar.
The internationally renowned French pianist and composer of Cypriot descent is the seventh recipient of this prize, following Alfred Brendel and Kurt Masur (2011), Leslie Howard (2017), Johannes and Eduard Kutrowatz (2019), and Martin Haselböck (2021).
The Honorary Prize thus honors the life's work of a great European Liszt player, a world-class piano virtuoso with a very special affinity for Liszt. Throughout his life, Cyprien Katsaris has contributed greatly and in a special way to a profiled new view of Franz Liszt's piano works in all their fullness. Early on he included in his concert programs the hitherto largely unnoticed large field of Liszt's transcriptions.
These transcriptions of Franz Liszt's own works and those of other composers from the past and present represent the part of his piano oeuvre that reveals Liszt's overall view of music in a special way. The results were unusual, imaginatively varied concerts beyond the usual. During the award ceremony, Cyprien Katsaris will of course also perform Liszt's works in a half-hour piano recital.
After greetings from Prof. Anne-Kathrin Lindig, President of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar, and the Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Nike Wagner will give the laudatory speech for Cyprien Katsaris. The publicist, dramaturge and music manager holds an honorary doctorate from the Weimar Academy of Music and is the great-great-granddaughter of Franz Liszt. The honorary prize will be presented jointly by Bodo Ramelow, Anne-Kathrin Lindig and the President of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Dr. Ulrike Lorenz.
The Franz Liszt Honorary Prize dates back to 2011, when Prof. Wolfram Huschke and Prof. Rolf-Dieter Arens established it on the occasion of the Liszt anniversary. Since 2017, the prize has been under the patronage of Minister President Bodo Ramelow. The prize committee is chaired by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.. Nike Wagner.
The presentation of the Franz Liszt Honorary Prize, including the piano recital by Cyprien Katsaris, is open to the public with free admission.
[17 May 2023]