Menahem Pressler receives the 2015 ECHO Klassik Lifetime Achievement Award
Pianist and revered chamber musician Menahem Pressler has been honoured with the ECHO Klassik Lifetime Achievement Award. Pressler will accept in person at a ceremony on 18 October at the Konzerthaus Berlin.
Born in 1923, Pressler founded the legendary Beaux Arts Trio in 1955, making more than 50 recordings with that beloved ensemble. Indefatigable at 91 years old, he continues to perform and give master classes around the world.
One unforgetable moment in this long and illustrious career is Pressler's 90th birthday gala in Paris, 2013, performing with his chosen guests the Ebène Quartet. This momentous and moving occasion was captured on CD and DVD by Erato.
Explaining his extraordinary longevity as a performer, Pressler – who spent 53 years as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio – told Piano Mag: “I'm a born pianist, in the most literal sense. I have devoted my life to the piano, to music: this feeds me each day...It is a rich and healthy life when one can devote oneself exclusively to one's art ... I never miss the chance to share and play with others."
