Lars Vogt (1970-2022) early recordings collected here provide a document of an artist who always remained authentic, both to himself and to music. Lars Vogt never sought absolute truth, but truthfulness instead meant all the more to him. The man and the artist were always very close, never currying favour and never detached from the world. He was, instead, open and natural.

“It’s incredibly gratifying when you notice that you can perhaps light a little spark, a little flame for music in people, and when music helps you to find the path to your own soul.”

Born in Düren on 8 September 1970 Lars Vogt began taking piano lessons at the age of six and then studied in Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, who produced several generations of renowned piano students. In 1990 he won second prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition and came to the attention of both EMI Classics executive who arranged a recording contract and Simon Rattle with whom he became close. In 1997 he founded in Heimbach the Spannungen chamber music festival, which is regularly attended by renowned artists such as Christian Tetzlaff, Truls Mørk, Tanja Tetzlaff, Heinrich Schiff, Sabine Meyer, Julia Fischer, Daniel Hope, Kim Kashkashian, Daniel Harding…

As conducter (he is self-taught) he took over the direction of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2015 and was appointed chief conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris in 2020. On 5 September 2022 he died of cancer diagnosed two years earlier.

Lars Vogt was one of the world’s most sought-after pianists and conductors due to his attentive musicianship, near flawless execution and a touch of earnestness.