Born in the German town of Düren in 1970, Lars Vogt first came to public attention when he won second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition at 20 years old. In the nearly 30 years since, he has enjoyed a varied career. His versatility as an artist ranges from the core classical repertoire of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms to the romantics Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, through to the dazzling Lutosławski concerto. Having performed with many of the world’s great orchestras, Vogt is increasingly working as a conductor. In 2015, he took up his post as Music Director of Royal Northern Sinfonia at Sage Gateshead, UK. This recital marks his SMF debut.