Hailed by the Herald-Tribune for his “dazzling pianism verging on the impossible, effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry and refinement that belies his years,” Indian-American pianist Vijay Venkatesh has been recognized on three continents as a pianist with profound musicianship, sparkling pianism and an innate sense of partnership. Vijay has rapidly established a major international reputation as top prizewinner in the San Jose, Seattle, Zimmerli, World Piano, and Waring International Piano Competitions. He has also been named a Davidson Fellow Laureate at the Library of Congress, USC Thornton’;s Discovery Scholar, Grand Prize Winner of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards and featured on “What Makes It Great?” with host Robert Kapilow and NPR’s “From the Top.”

An immersive and versatile soloist, Mr. Venkatesh has performed extensively in North America and Europe as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Vienna, Sarasota, Pasadena, Cincinnati, Columbus, and the Brevard Music Center, to name a few. He has collaborated with preeminent conductors such as James Conlon, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jeffrey Kahane, Ludovic Morlot, Eckart Preu, Roger Kalia, and more. Mr. Venkatesh appeared in recent seasons at Segerstrom Concert Hall with the Colburn Orchestra, Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess series, and at the
Aspen, Brevard, Banff, Newport, Redlands Bowl, Sarasota, and Vienna Music Festivals. As recipient of the inaugural Parnassus Society Prize, he performed in recital at the Soka Performing Arts Center.

An active chamber musician, Venkatesh has appeared ten times on Le Salon de Musiques and tours as the Vieness Piano Duo with his wife and pianist, Eva Schaumkell. Originally from California, Mr. Venkatesh holds degrees from the Colburn School, USC Thornton and IU Jacobs having studied with Fabio Bidini, Norman Krieger, Jeffrey Kahane, André Watts, Sarkis Baltaian, Menahem Pressler and Murray Perahia.