The Austrian pianist Thomas Hlawatsch (born 1957) began his study of the instrument at the age of five, continuing his training in Vienna at the Musikhochschule, where he also undertook studies in composition. A winner of various prizes, including the 1989 Vienna International Competition, he has appeared as a soloist in concerts at home and abroad, with broadcasts, television appearances and recordings. He boasts a repertoire that extends from the classical to the contemporary.