Balázs Szokolay, born on July 2, 1961, in Budapest, Hungary, is a Hungarian pianist and teacher who studied at age five under Erna Czövek. He studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and continued his education in Moscow and Munich. His career launched with international competition wins from 1973 to 1990, including prizes in Usti nad Labem, Leeds, and Montreal. He performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle. In 2001, he received the Liszt Ferenc Prize from the Hungarian government, and in 2022, he received the Officer's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit.
