Born in 1974 in Transylvania, Romania, Ferenc Vizi began his piano studies at the age of nine under the guidance of András Körtési in his hometown of Reghin. His talent caught the attention of Gérard Frémy, a juror at the George Enescu competition, where Vizi was awarded a special prize. This recognition led him to study at the Paris Conservatoire in 1992, supported by a French government grant and the Yvonne Lefébure Foundation, where he furthered his education with Cyril Huvé. In 1998, Vizi graduated with unanimous first prize from the Conservatoire and subsequently enrolled in a postgraduate performers’ course with Jacques Rouvier. He continued his studies from 2000 to 2002 with Françoise Thinat at the Paris Ecole Normale.
Ferenc Vizi has received numerous prestigious international accolades, including wins at the Saratov competition in Russia, the Hamamatsu competition in Japan, the Arthur Rubinstein competition in Tel-Aviv, and the Munich ARD competition. These achievements have afforded him performance opportunities across South America, Japan, and various European countries, including a recording of Bartók’s 2nd piano concerto with Bayerischen Rundfunk, conducted by Peter Rundel.
Vizi has established himself as a recital soloist and orchestral performer primarily throughout Europe. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with notable artists such as Henri Demarquette, Raphaël Perraud, Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabedian, Alexis Cardenas, Benoît Fromanger, and Richard Galliano. In 2014, he became a member of the Brancusi Trio alongside violinist Ann-Estelle Médouze and cellist Laura Buruiana.
A Juventus Lauréat in 1995, Vizi is a frequent guest at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. His performances have graced venues including Radio France, the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Théâtre de Caen, and the Opéra Comique in Paris, as well as festivals such as Nohant, Toulon, Périgord Noir, and the Nantes Folle Journée. He has performed with the Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre National d'Île de France, and Orchestre d’Auvergne, showcasing works like Tchaikovsky’s 1st piano concerto and Grieg’s piano concerto with the Târgu-Mures Philharmonic Orchestra during tours in France. Notably, in November 2018, he performed Ravel's concerto in G with the same orchestra at the Palace of Culture in Târgu-Mures. His 2016 debut of Boulez’s 12 Notations at the Juventus Festival was followed by several recitals featuring his Blue Notes program. Following a significant performance of the Diabelli Variations at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris in November 2015, he was invited back to present his Chimères & Contemplations recital program in January 2017. That same year, he premiered a new program titled Liszt, Hanover Square Rooms, London, 9th June 1840 at the Berlioz Festival in August and performed in the Degas sur tous les tons cycle at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. In 2018, he participated in the renowned Nantes Folle Journée and offered a recital at the Liszt en Provence festival.
In 2019, Vizi is set to perform a new program titled Danube, which will take audiences on a musical journey along Europe’s majestic river, exploring works from Schubert to Enescu and the traditional music heritage that intertwines gypsy and Hungarian influences.
Additionally, Ferenc Vizi has developed a program with the Ensemble Cifra that merges Liszt’s Rhapsodies with traditional Hungarian gypsy music, first performed at the Scène nationale de Martigues and the Lisztomanias Festival in Châteauroux. The program, titled Rhapsodies – Liszt and the Hungarian Gypsies, has since toured extensively throughout France, including performances at the Théâtre Impérial in Compiègne and the operas in Nancy and Montpellier.
Vizi’s discography includes recordings of Beethoven’s Opus 111 Sonata and Schumann’s Fantasia Opus 17 for the Æon label, as well as Voyage, featuring works by Schubert, Liszt, and Wagner/Liszt, for Satirino records. In 2013, he released Rhapsodies - Liszt and the Hungarian Gypsies under the title Czardas Fantasy, alongside Mendelssohn’s complete works for cello and piano with cellist Laura Buruiana for Coviello Classics, and an album of violin and piano works by Ernest Bloch with violinist Elsa Grether for the Fuga Libera label. His recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations was released by Anima in November 2014, followed by Romance oubliée with cellist Hermine Horiot on the 1001 Notes label in early 2015. In May 2020, he recorded a new Schubert album, slated for release in 2021.
