Pianist Lars Vogt has Died, Age 51

The German pianist and conductor has passed away after battling aggressive liver cancer since early 2021 

Born in Germany in 1970, Lars Vogt’s career sky-rocketed after winning second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition. In the more than 25 years that followed, he performed various genres of music from baroque to contemporary around the world. He was also a professor of piano at the Hannover Conservatory of Music. 

He appeared with orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra Berlin, NDR Elbphilhrmonic Orchestra, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Dresden Staatskapelle, Vienna Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and NHK Symphony, plus was featured at Wigmore Hall and in the 2015 BBC Proms in London. 

Vogt worked with conductors including Claudio Abbado, Daniel Harding, Mariss Jansons, Paavo Järvi, Andris Nelsons, Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, and Robin Ticciati. Holding a unique relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic, he was a regular guest with them since his appointment as their first ever “Pianist in Residence” in 2003.

In February and March 2021, Vogt was diagnosed with aggressive liver cancer and underwent strong chemotherapy treatments. Though the treatment’s side effects impacted his finger sensitivity, he did what he could to continue playing the piano while managing his symptoms. 

“In music, you get transported into this world where you forget everything,” Vogt told pianist Zsolt Bognár, on the Living the Classical Life podcast — Vogt’s final interview. “Everything else becomes secondary…it’s a wonderful thing; transcending.” 

A little over a month after the interview and following Vogt’s passing, Bognár created a GoFundMe page for Vogt’s family.

“[Vogt] leaves behind a wife and very young children,” Bognár wrote. “Let’s help them cover expenses and provide for the future of the children, including education and living expenses at this difficult time. I will personally ensure that every last dollar/euro goes to the family. Thank you for considering and for your generosity.” 

Vogt’s interview with Bognár can be viewed below:

As a conductor, Vogt was appointed as music director of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris for 2020. Previous to this role, he served as music director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia for five years — developing their strong international profile across Asia and Europe — and was named their principal artistic partner in 2020. 

His conducting engagements included the New Japan Philharmonic, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, the Cologne and Zurich Chamber Orchestras, Camerata Salzburg, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Hannover Opera Orchestra, Frankfurt Museum Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Sydney, Singapore and New Zealand symphonies. In 2019, he also led a highly acclaimed tour of Germany and France with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. 

A prolific recording artist, Vogt worked with the Ondine and EMI labels and recorded a GRAMMY-nominated album with Christian and Tanja Tetzlaff. He was also the creator of the “Spannungen” chamber music festival in 1998 and oversaw its release of several live recordings on the CAvi and EMI labels. 

“His playing was nothing short of revelatory,” wrote violinist Daniel Hope on Facebook. “I will never forget the beauty of his sound and the honest depth of his interpretation…Lars was a true gentleman and a great artist. He will be missed.”

Mr. Vogt is survived by his wife, violinist Anna Reszniak, and three children.

Our condolences to his family, friends, students, and colleagues.