Hailed by the Herald-Tribune for his “dazzling pianism verging on the impossible, effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry and refinement that belies his years,” Indian-American pianist Vijay Venkatesh rapidly established a major international reputation as top prizewinner in the San Jose, Seattle, Zimmerli, World Piano, and Waring International Piano Competitions. He has also been named a Davidson Fellow Laureate at the Library of Congress, USC Thornton's Discovery Scholar, Grand Prize Winner of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards and featured on Performance Today® with host Fred Child, “What Makes It Great?” with host Robert Kapilow and NPR’s “From the Top.”   

An immersive and versatile soloist, Mr. Venkatesh has performed extensively in North America and Europe as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Vienna, Sarasota, Pasadena, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Bangor to name a few. He has collaborated with preeminent conductors such as James Conlon, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jeffrey Kahane, Ludovic Morlot, Roger Kalia, Michael Christie, Eckart Preu, Michael Repper, and more. Mr. Venkatesh appeared in recent seasons at Segerstrom Concert Hall with the Colburn Orchestra, Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess series, Grand Piano Series in Naples, and at the Aspen, Brevard, Banff, Highlands-Cashiers, Pro Musica SMA, Music in the Mountains, Newport, Redlands Bowl, Sarasota, and Vienna Music Festivals. As recipient of the inaugural Parnassus Society Prize, he performed in recital at the Soka Performing Arts Center.   

An active chamber musician, Venkatesh has appeared twelve times on Le Salon de Musiques and tours as the Vieness Piano Duo with his wife pianist, Eva Schaumkell.   

Originally from California, Mr. Venkatesh holds degrees from the Colburn School, USC Thornton and IU Jacobs having studied with Fabio Bidini, Norman Krieger, Jeffrey Kahane, and Murray Perahia. He was generously awarded the prestigious Amron-Sutherland Grant for Pianists from the Colburn School.