Ever since his debut at the young age of twenty-four at the Ruhr Piano Festival in 2011, Igor Levit has carved out an impressive career. Ever since that first performance, he has honored the Festival’s many invitations and returned for every Festival edition, often several times in the same year, thus now for the 17th time. The extraordinary young pianist takes courageous stands in public: not only in interviews and statements, but also occasionally in recitals, as already through his unusual programming choices. Political and musical engagement determine one another and are mutually enriching, as he remarks himself: “I feel all those human beings in society around me, and these experiences have a strong influence on my outlook.” The same degree of commitment can be felt in his interpretations: while remaining faithful to the score, they are also utterly contemporary.