The 36-year-old German-born Russian-born, one of the most virtuoso pianists of his generation, is known in his country for his commitment against anti-Semitism, the extreme right or racism, and in favor of refugees.

So much so that in 2019, he performed, under heavy security measures, at a concert in a city in southern Germany, after being the target of anti-Semitic death threats.

"Social duty"

"I have publicly displayed my positions and there is a price to pay for it, but it is a personal choice," said the pianist, who plays Wednesday at the Easter Festival in Aix-en-Provence, south of France, alongside its founder 10 years ago, violinist Renaud Capuçon.

"My empathy has nothing to do with the fact that I am a classical musician. It is a social duty," says the one who says he appreciates the scope of the word "citizen" in French.

Fluent in English, he did not hesitate to play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" in 2017 - anthem of the European Union - at the BBC Proms, a few months after the Brexit vote.

On Instagram (more than 85,000 followers), he recently called for fundraising for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

And when, during the lockdown, he caused a sensation by playing in his studio in Berlin for 20 hours straight "Vexations" by Erik Satie – a unique motif repeated 840 times – it was to raise funds for freelance musicians affected by the pandemic.

German-Russian pianist Igor Levit on February 13, 2022 at the Berlinale in Berlin © Stefanie LOOS / AFP/Archives

He left Twitter last November, refusing the principle of paid blue certification required by his new boss Elon Musk and out of fear for his entourage after the threats. He also blames the social network for a high "level of toxicity", while what he likes above all is the "connection" with the public.

"What is closest to my heart is that there are people who give me the gift of their presence in the room," says the musician with the appearance of a nerd and casual outfits.

Despite his own success, notably as a Beethovenian pianist - he has recorded the complete piano sonatas for Sony Classical, among other things, a tour de force - he is aware that it is increasingly difficult for musicians to attract audiences to classical concerts.

"Life is becoming more expensive and this has real consequences for the middle-class music lover. People are asking themselves more and more the question +why would I go to this concert?+ or + what concert will I attend?+", says the one who has won many prizes, including that of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in 2005.

Praised for both his brilliance and precision, he is constantly eager for new repertoires: "I have 70 to 80 hours of music on my hands, I always want more," smiles the pianist who began playing at the age of three.

He was born to a pianist mother and a construction engineer father in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Country with which it has kept no link.

"I feel nothing but pain and horror at what is happening in Ukraine," said Levit, who emigrated with his family to Hanover at the age of eight.

With the war, "it's as if I've been completely rejected by the country of my birth," he says.

© 2023 AFP