The City of Duisburg Music Prize will be awarded to Igor Levit this year. The pianist uniquely combines musical excellence and social responsibility, explained Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, Chairman of the Köhler-Osbahr Foundation, which awards the prize, on Friday. The award will be presented to the artist at a concert on September 30th at the Mercator Hall Philharmonic.

Igor Levit

"Igor Levit represents an artistic personality whose influence extends far beyond the concert hall," said Kerkhoff. "His voice carries weight in our society – both musically and personally." Duisburg's Mayor Sören Link (SPD) emphasized that Levit is one of the most outstanding musicians of our time and also an important voice on social issues. "We are proud that he feels connected to Duisburg and the Ruhr region."

When Levit's family, including their son Igor (born in 1987), came to Germany from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, in the mid-1990s, they initially settled in Dortmund. To this day, the pianist regularly returns to the Ruhr region, including for the Ruhr Piano Festival.

The City of Duisburg Music Prize has been awarded annually since 1990. It recognizes outstanding achievements in the fields of music and musical theatre. Previous recipients include composer Wolfgang Rihm, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, patron Anne-Liese Henle, director Christof Loy, soprano Nina Stemme, choreographer Martin Schläpfer, violinist Carolin Widmann, cellist Tanja Tetzlaff, and most recently, conductor Axel Kober.

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