Kovacevich, Stephen (1940– )

US pianist and conductor of Yugoslav parentage. He made his US debut in San Francisco in 1951 and in 1959 moved to London, where he studied with Myra Hess. He performed Beethoven's Diabelli Variations at his British debut and gave first performance of Richard Rodney Bennett's concerto in Birmingham in 1968. He is often heard in Bartók, Mozart and Schubert, and his recordings include the Brahms concertos (with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Wolfgang Sawallisch), and the late Schubert and Beethoven sonatas. As a conductor he worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl in 1990, and in Europe has led the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He makes regular appearances at the Aspen Festival, Colorado.