Sofi Simeonidis - CV

The Georgian pianist Sofi Simeonidis is a promising Lied pianist of her generation. As a multiple prize winner of international competitions, she regularly performs throughout Europe and is deeply dedicated to the art of Lied.

Her recent awards include Second Prize, the Audience Prize, and the Prize for the Best Interpretation of a Contemporary Set Song at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria (2026); First Prize at The Art of Song Festival in Maastricht (2026); First Prize at the Gen Re Music Prize in Cologne (2025); and First Prize at the International Lied Duo Competition in Groningen (2024). Further distinctions include the Vocallis Song Award (2024), the Fürstin Eugénie Prize for Lied Duo (2024), and the Vrienden van het Lied Prize (2023 and 2025).

In recent seasons, Sofi Simeonidis has appeared in recitals at the Opera Bonn, the International Lied Festival Zeist, the Haydn Festival, and the Engelbert Humperdinck Festival in Siegburg, as well as in concert series and festivals in Germany and the Netherlands. Her performances have been recorded by institutions including WDR, SWR, and the Dutch Concertzender.

Alongside her concert activities, Sofi Simeonidis is dedicated to the rediscovery and performance of rarely performed works. She has participated in several first performances, including Lied programmes within the framework of Musica non Grata, projects featuring songs by Jewish composers, and the Bayreuth premiere of Siegfried Wagner’s Sonnenflammen.

Her repertoire ranges from the great Lied cycles of the Romantic era to contemporary works. Sofi Simeonidis received her musical education in Tbilisi, Detmold, and Cologne. She completed the Master’s programme in Lied Interpretation as well as the Konzertexamen at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in the class of Ulrich Eisenlohr, graduating with distinction. She received further artistic impulses from Anne Le Bozec, Charles Spencer, Sophie Koch, and Michael Gees.

At the centre of her artistic work lies the close connection between text and music. Her interpretations are characterised by stylistic versatility, chamber-music sensitivity, and a special attention to the poetic dimension of Lied.