John Ogdon

John Ogdon was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on January 27, 1937. In 1953, he became a full-time student at the Royal Manchester College of Music. In the winter of 1957, Ogdon studied for three months in Switzerland with Petri. He later won the Busoni Competition and the Franz Liszt Prize. In 1962, Ogdon became the first English pianist to win first prize (an honor he shared that year with Ashkenazy) at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Following that honor, Ogdon toured widely, through North America, Japan, Australia, Europe and more. In his later years, Ogdon was plagued with severe mental illness, although he continued to perform. He was noted especially for his vast, all-encompassing repertoire, partially reflected on his numerous recordings. Ogdon died in 1989.