About
Shot to fame after winning the 1989 Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition when he was only 19.
Before Fame
He started piano lessons at the age of six under the tutelage of Tamara Popovich.
Trivia
He was loved by audiences, but controversial among his peers, with one critic saying there was no middle ground in opinions of his work.
Family Life
His left side was paralyzed after a 2001 stroke. He continued playing with his right hand, while his wife Dace Abele accompanied him with her left hand.
Associated With
He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman in the late eighties.
