Maria João Pires Essentials

Pires played her first recital at five and has been a major figure in her profession since a competition win in 1970. Mozart and Chopin sit at the centre of her repertoire, and her delicacy and elegance make a near-ideal advocate (her Chopin Nocturnes are exquisite). She has recorded the Mozart piano sonatas three times, each delving deeper into these masterpieces. A keen chamber player, Pires works with the violinist Augustin Dumay and cellist Antonio Meneses. Recordings of the Beethoven concertos (with Daniel Harding) and Schumann concerto (with Gardiner) won her considerable praise.