The Diplomat
The Government has granted Spanish nationality to the Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov, according to the Official State Gazette (BOE) published this Wednesday.
The concession was made at the proposal of the Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop, in view of the exceptional circumstances of Grigory Sokolov, and following deliberation by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on 5 July.
This concession will take effect in accordance with the requirements, conditions and deadlines set out in the Civil Code. It also gives him the status of common civilian neighbour.
Born in St. Petersburg, Sokolov began his training at the age of five, and at sixteen he launched his international career by winning the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
The 72-year-old Russian musician has performed in the main concert halls and festivals in Europe, as a soloist with orchestras as important as the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the London Philharmonia, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Munich Philharmonic, among others, before deciding to focus exclusively on giving recitals.
