“Varvaresos not only has a natural yet finely honed technique, it springs as one with the wide scope of profound musicianship. Varvaresos engaged his audience with a performance that sizzled from start to finish.” – New York Concert Review
“….If Varvaresos suggested Van Cliburn reborn – given those colossally long, fleet fingers – his Liszt reminded us of the demonism we associate with Gyorgy Cziffra….”.
“……During this performance, as we were witnessing the maelstrom whirling of nimble hands and fleet fingers of Mr. Varvaresos and being mesmerized by the eddy of colourful emotions, we couldn’t help making mental comparisons to pianists like Ashkenazy, Von Cliburn, and even Horowitz. However, at the end of the recital we had to conclude that Varvaresos was eminently successful in cultivating his own impressive artistic persona….´. Peninsula Reviews October ‘15
Vassilis Varvaresos, born in Greece, is an internationally acclaimed pianist who made his breakthrough in the United States at the age of 15 as the youngest ever winner of the Young Concert Artists competition.
Following his acclaimed debut at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Centre and the White House, he built an impressive career performing at major European concert halls including Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle in Zurich and Salle Gaveau in Paris.
Varvaresos represented Greece with the Athens State Symphony Orchestra at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and was named ‘Most Promising Young Greek Artist’ by the Association of Music Critics of Greece at the time; he is a regular soloist on all the major stages of his homeland.
As a much sought-after soloist, he has shone in recent years in the major piano concertos by Rachmaninov (Nos. 1, 2 and 3), Prokofiev, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart and Ravel. In doing so, he has collaborated with conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Marc Nieman, Alexandre Bloch, Justus Frantz and Dionysis Grammenos.
Alongside his solo career, Varvaresos is a passionate chamber musician and a welcome guest at festivals such as the Athens Festival, Festival des Arcs, Enescu Festival, the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad and the Chopin Festival in Nohant.
With the Corneille Piano Quartet (Corneille Collective), he is a regular guest on major Dutch stages, including the Philharmonie Haarlem, Musis Arnhem and De Doelen in Rotterdam. On top of this Varvaresos forms a highly acclaimed duo with violinist Noé Inui, with whom he gives concerts throughout the country in venues both large and small, and with whom he also recorded a successful album (The First and the Last Romantic featuring Strauss and Schumann).
At the renowned Juilliard School in New York, where Vassilis studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Yoheved Kaplinsky and Robert MacDonald, he obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. He then studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris with Michel Dalberto, earning the prestigious Diplôme d’Artiste-Interprète.
The focus of his career is currently on his latest CD, due for release in 2026. For this recording, he collaborated in London with the esteemed London Philharmonia under the baton of Dionysis Grammenos. This recording features Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and ‘Night’ by Kevin Putts.
This release follows his widely acclaimed solo album V for Valse, featuring works by Liszt, Scriabin, Schumann and Ravel (2018 – Aparte Records, France). Vassilis has also recorded with cellist Ophélie Gaillard, cellist Ivan Karizna, violinist Noé Inui (Strauss and Schumann Sonatas) and a CD of Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’ with baritone Dimitris Tiliakos.
Varvaresos’ versatility is further evident in his academic achievements and creative side projects. He obtained his doctorate from the Juilliard School in New York, where he also won a prize for his book on musical syntax. Alongside his concert schedule, he teaches at the conservatoires in Athens and Thessaloniki and composes music for films and musicals.
Prizes and distinctions
Young Concert Artists, New York (1998): winner (youngest winning musician ever).
Most Promising Young Greek Artist (2010): Uitgeroepen door de Vereniging van Muziek- en Theaterrecensenten van Griekenland.
Enescu Int. Competition, Boekarest (2014): Laureate.
Monte Carlo Piano Masters (2015): Laureate
Scholastic Distinction Award (Juilliard School): Voor zijn boek “Departure From the Functionality of Syntax”.
Video links: You-Tube Channel Compris Artist Management: Vassilis Varvaresos
