Michel Sogny

Michel Sogny (born 21 November 1947 in Pau, France) is a French pianist, composer, and writer of Hungarian descent who developed a new approach to teaching the piano.

Michel Sogny attended École Normale de Musique de Paris, where he pursued piano studies under the direction of Jules Gentil and Yvonne Desportes. He holds a master's degree in psychology, a bachelor's degree in literature and a PhD in philosophy, which he completed at the Sorbonne in 1974 under the direction of Vladimir Jankélévitch. Michel Sogny is the founder of SOS Talents Foundation.

Along with Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Franz Liszt's great-granddaughter, Blandine Ollivier de Prévaux, Sogny was one of the founding members of the Franz Liszt French Association.

In 1974 Michel Sogny founded a music school in Paris as well as opening a literary and musical salon where he gathered artists, writers and intellectuals.

In 1975, he published his first book, Admiration Créatrice chez List. The preface to his book was written by György Cziffra.

In 1981 he appeared in the television series Grâce à la Musique – Franz Liszt directed by François Reichenbach. He also opened a second music school in Geneva.

Sogny's methodology is taught at his schools in Paris and Geneva. Since 1974, over 20,000 students have learned piano by Sogny's method.

The method consists of two main components: Didactic works (Prolégomènes), which are small exercises developing the perception of musical symphony and sound, and a cycle of etudes, which concentrate on developing of technical skills, as hand gestures and positions.

One of Sogny's students, who started piano practice as an adult, was French language professor Michel Paris. After completing Sogny's four-year methodology course, at the age of 30 she performed a solo concert at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées with the patronage of Ministry of Culture.

In 1981, the French Senate formally addressed the Minister of Culture, Jack Lang to discuss the introduction of Sogny's methodology throughout France.

On June 24, 2023, Michel Sogny received the Grand Prix Alain Fournier for his book "L'Adulte Prodige" awarded at La Sorbonne by "Accademia Euromediterrania delle ARTI"

Le solfège sans soupir (Nouvelle édition entièrement remaniée éditions Sirella) (1984)

La méthode en action (Guide de l’Élève éditions Sirella)

Initiation à l'art de la composition musicale (Sirella)

La Musique en Question, entretiens avec Monique Philonenko Ed. Michel de Maule (2009)

L'adulte prodige – Le rêve au bout des doigts Editions France-Empire (2013)

Entrevisions 12 pièces pour piano (Durand)

12 études pour piano dans le style hongrois Séries I à IV (Durand)

12 pièces pour piano pour la main droit seule (à France Clidat) (Artchipel)

48 Etudes de Perfectionnement (Artchipel)

Etudes pour piano Séries I à IV (Artchipel)

Honorary Consul of Lituania in Switzerland

Michel Sogny, l’art de la résilience Le Figaro