Artist database

Pianist István Kassai, obtained his diplomas from the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest with Pál Kadosa in 1982, and from the Conservatoire Européen de Musique in Paris with Professor Yvonne Lefébure in 1984. He won first prize at the Ústí nad Labem (CZ) International Piano Competition in 1972, at the Hungarian Radio National Piano Competition in 1979, and at the Paris International Debussy Piano Competition in 1982. In 2001 he was awarded with the Liszt Prize. In 2010 István Kassai received the Leó Weiner Prize.

He edited György Cziffra's volume of improvisations, and is presently working on the publishing of Mihály Mosonyi's piano works. He recorded all of the piano works of Ernest Bloch (2 CD), Ferenc Erkel (2 CD) and Mihály Mosonyi (6 CD) with (Naxos) Marco Polo recording company. He made also Hubay, Weiner, Dohnányi, Bartók and Volkmann recordings for Hungaroton.

Since 2013 he is a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. In 2024, he was awarded the Prize of Merited Artist of Hungary.