Maria Lettberg

The child of a professor of Russian literature and a mathematician, Swedish pianist Maria Lettberg was born in Riga, Latvia, and began her musical studies at age 7. By age 9, she debuted in public with a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2. After studying at a Latvian school for musically gifted children, she was enrolled in the Petersburg Conservatory, where she graduated with distinction in the concert examination. Deciding against entering international competitions, which had seemed a natural career path for such a virtuoso, Lettberg instead pursued her musical...