Ivo Pogorelich is a Croatian concert pianist whose rise to fame came as a result of controversy. Following his winning of two major international competitions in the late-1970s, Pogorelich entered the renowned Warsaw-based International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 1980. The competition experienced a major upset when Pogorelich was eliminated in the third round; a decision that caused one of the judges--esteemed Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich--to resign from her post in protest. With such a resounding endorsement made by one of the world's most respected pianists (Argerich had won the same competition 25 years earlier), Pogorelich's fame and success as a concert pianist was all but ensured, despite losing such a major competition so early on. Although Pogorelich's career has had it's ups and downs with critics due primarily to his eccentricities as a performer, his performances are still sought after by connoisseurs of classical piano music worldwide.
