As a pianist, you not only have to have a strong inner desire to play music yourself, but this passion also means enjoying listening to it. And this is what the son of a married couple of pianists has been doing with great passion since childhood: Richter, Horowitz, Pollini, Gilels and Michelangeli are the heroes he still honours today. He also draws inspiration from the other arts, such as literature, painting and film. Freedom is what makes the difference – creating each piece anew and filling it with his own musical feelings, ideas and decisions. The pianist was born in Paris, but his Armenian roots mean a lot to him. For his debut concert at the Ruhr Piano Festival, he will be performing works by composers from the small but culturally significant Caucasus republic, including two by his father Gérard Gasparian.