Just like life, music is a pilgrimage. There is a spiritual goal and one should keep an open heart and listen to one’s own intuition, in order to advance, stay inwardly healthy and grow on this path. Artists he has been inspired by include Fou Ts’ong, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Riccardo Muti. Michael Tagkas is one of those rare musicians who seem to transcend their time: he is a performer for the ages, and one of those artists of the great poetic interpretation, an immense pianist whose intellectually superior humility in the face of music. His recent performances of the Chopin compositions show that he is not repeating earlier interpretations but continuously refreshes his approach to the greatest repertoire.