Biography
Born in 1950 in Jamshedpur, India, Christian Zacharias grew up in Germany, where he took his first piano lessons at the age of seven. In 1960, he entered the Conservatory of Karlsruhe, where he studied until 1969. That year, a Second Prize at the Geneva International Competition opened the doors to a solo career. He refined his skills for three years in Paris with Vlado Perlemuter, won the Van Cliburn Competition in 1973, and took first place at the Ravel Competition (Paris) in 1975. The following year, the pianist signed with the EMI label, which released his first recordings, including two box sets of 5 CDs dedicated to the Piano Sonatas of Mozart and Schubert.
His chamber music activity led him to collaborate with the Alban Berg and Leipzig Quartets, Heinrich Schiff, Frank Peter Zimmermann, and others. In 1992, the pianist began a conducting career with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He was later appointed to head the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, conducting from the piano in the concertos of Chopin and Schumann, exploring opera repertoire, and collaborating with the orchestras of Gothenburg, Los Angeles, New York, and Bamberg, as well as the Mozart Festival Orchestra in Barcelona and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (Minnesota).
For the MD&G label, Christian Zacharias began a complete recording of Mozart’s Piano Concertos with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and recorded works by Mozart, Schumann, Chopin, and Michael Haydn. He participated in documentaries such as Zacharias Plays Domenico Scarlatti in Seville, Robert Schumann – The Poet Speaks, and Between Stage and Dressing Room, etc. Named “Artist of the Year” at MIDEM in Cannes, he was also appointed Chevalier of the Arts and Letters.
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