Leif Ove Andsnes

The pianist Leif Ove Andsnes was born in Karmøy, Norway, in 1970, and has hundreds of acclaimed recordings and concerts to his credit. But his most memorable moment was probably the day in 2007 he had a piano hoisted by helicopter to a mountaintop in Norway, and played Grieg’s Ballade in G minor on it. Recording the Lyric Pieces on Grieg’s personal piano at his villa in Troldhaugen (2002) was another trademark project, seeking fresh angles on the music of his country’s greatest composer. Andsnes’ repertoire is far from parochial, however, and ranges widely across the classical spectrum. His immaculately chiseled pianism throws a refreshing light on Mozart in two double albums (2021-2022), while The Beethoven Journey (2012-2014) brought a similarly unaffected approach to the composer’s five piano concertos. Invariably warm and glowing, Andsnes’s tonal palette draws listeners in no matter what he happens to be playing, making him among the most approachable of modern pianists.