Pianist gives last live broadcast

Brendel's career has taken him all over the world

Pianist Alfred Brendel has given his last live broadcast at the Proms, 36 years after his debut at the event.

The 73-year-old pianist played Beethoven's Emperor Concerto - which he first played at the 1973 Proms.

It is one of over 70 concerts being played at the Royal Albert Hall and broadcast on BBC 3 until 11 September.

Alfred Brendel was born in 5 January 1931 at Wiesenberg, northern Moravia (now the Czech Republic), and began studying the piano aged six.

'Gramophone'

He later studied the piano, composition and conducting in Zagreb and Graz, completing his piano studies with Edwin Fischer, Paul Baumgartner and Edward Steuermann.

Brendel cited his first musical memory as "winding up a gramophone playing opera records, and trying to sing along to it".

He gave his first public recital aged 17 and started touring after winning fourth place in the Busoni Competition in Italy in 1949. He began recording in the 1950s.

Alfred Brendel has received honorary degrees from universities including Oxford, Exeter and Yale, and was appointed honorary KBE in 1989.

He has lived in London since 1971.