Søren Rastogi

Søren Rastogi is one of Denmark’s most versatile and renowned concert pianists, and his impressive career as a soloist has seen him perform with most of Denmark’s symphony orchestras, under the baton of some of the most prominent conductors in the field, including Christian Mandeál, Douglas Bostock, Christian Kluxen, Benjamin Shwartz, Matthias Aeschbacher, Ed Spanjaard, Jayce Ogren, Peter Feranec, Ilan Volkov and Thomas Søndergård. He has played piano concertos by Mozart, Schumann, Stravinsky, Bartók, and Gershwin, to name but a few.

As a chamber musician, Rastogi has given recitals with international musicians such as Vilde Frang, Andreas Brantelid, Benjamin Schmid, Narek Hakhnazaryan, and Sergei Dogadin. He is a frequent guest at many chamber music festivals, including the Bergen International Festival, Tivoli Summer Festival, and Hardanger Music Festival. Together with his wife, cellist Janne Fredens, he is the artistic director of the Odsherreds Chamber Music Festival, which presents a range of international names in collaboration with young Danish talents.

Søren Rastogi is not only known for his solo work but also for his close collaboration with leading Scandinavian singers, including baritone Johannes Weisser. Their CD Visiting Grieg was critically acclaimed and named ’CD of the Month’ by Classic FM.

Rastogi also has a close collaboration with the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, where he serves as both pianist and musical director. Together, they have developed new concert formats that have been presented on radio and TV broadcasts in recent years.

In 2006, Søren Rastogi’s illustrious career soared to new heights when he was appointed as the ’Tower Musician’ by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and Rundetårn (the Round Tower in Copenhagen). This prestigious honour involved a series of five concerts broadcast on radio, where he performed both as a soloist and chamber musician. In addition to this, Rastogi has also recorded numerous radio broadcasts for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), cementing his reputation as one of Denmark’s leading musical ambassadors.

Apart from his work as a performer, Søren Rastogi also lectures at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus and the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. He has conducted masterclasses in the United States, Norway, Sweden and Finland, inspiring and mentoring the next generation of pianists. Rastogi is also the chairman of the jury at the Aarhus International Piano Competition, a testament to his immense knowledge and expertise in the field. Throughout his career, Søren Rastogi has been the recipient of numerous grants and accolades.