As could be expected, Sophie Pacini’s playing has fledged physically and technically to the point of reaching a fully sovereign, relaxed command. One also notes her evident pleasure in questioning the established phrasing of important themes, trying out new approaches, even reconsidering the conventional importance of ‘principal’ and ‘secondary’ ideas. In spite of her remarkable individuality – a unique approach which bears rich fruit – Sophie has always been keenly curious to hear other interpretations, those of Martha Argerich in particular. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Argerich’s technical brilliance and impressive personality have come to play a decisive role in Sophie’s professional and personal life.

In the summer of 2010, on one of her trips to Italy, a surprising occasion enabled Sophie Pacini to meet Martha Argerich, her role model. Perhaps the muses had their hand in it – at any rate the world-renowned pianist happened to be staying at the same hotel as Sophie and her parents. The young girl introduced herself and asked if she could play for the artist she so revered. Despite hearing Sophie play on a clearly inadequate instrument, Argerich was visibly thrilled and asked her to play the Liszt Sonata in its entirety. From that first encounter a true friendship emerged, one that also opened a whole series of new artistic paths for Sophie. She was thus invited to give a solo recital at the Progetto Martha Argerich festival in Lugano. Furthermore, Argerich advised her about new repertoire.

Sophie Pacini was born in Munich in 1991, her father an Italian professor of literature and her mother a German physician. She began to play the piano comparatively late, at the age of six. However, her outstanding talent was recognised quickly: she made her debut with Haydn’s piano concerto in D major in 2000. In 2002, aged 11, she became a student of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2004 she was admitted to the Mozarteum’s institute for highly talented musicians, where she not only studied the piano but also improvisation, aural theory, harmonics, composition and conducting. Since 2007 she has been studying in Pavel Gililov’s master class. Simultaneously, she began her regular university studies in piano, which she completed in 2011.