Editing Martha Argerich (section)

== Early life and education ==
[[File:Martha Argerich  NYWTS.jpg|thumb|Argerich in 1962]]
Argerich was born in Buenos Aires.<ref>{{Cite news|title = An Enigmatic Pianist Reclaims Her Stardom|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/25/arts/an-enigmatic-pianist-reclaims-her-stardom.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 25 March 2000|access-date = 4 February 2016|issn = 0362-4331|first = Anthony|last = Tommasini}}</ref> Her paternal ancestors were [[Spaniards]] from [[Catalonia]] who had been based in Buenos Aires since the 18th century. Her maternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from the [[Russian Empire]], who settled in Colonia Villa Clara in Argentina's [[Entre Ríos Province]], one of the colonies established by [[Maurice de Hirsch|Baron de Hirsch]] and the [[Jewish Colonisation Association|Jewish Colonization Association]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lavozylaopinion.com.ar/cgi-bin/medios/vernota.cgi?medio=lavoz&numero=Mayo2012&nota=Mayo2012-3 |title=La vida de una pianista única: "Martha Argerich" por Moshé Korin |publisher=Lavozylaopinion.com.ar |access-date=21 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130801143652/http://www.lavozylaopinion.com.ar/cgi-bin/medios/vernota.cgi?medio=lavoz&numero=Mayo2012&nota=Mayo2012-3 |archive-date=1 August 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://owl-ge.ch/arts-scenes/spip.php?article1941 |title=Portrait : Martha Argerich – Arts-Scènes |publisher=Owl-ge.ch |access-date=21 October 2013 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219170213/http://owl-ge.ch/arts-scenes/spip.php?article1941 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The provenance of the name ''[[Argerich]]'' is Catalonia.

A precocious child, Argerich began kindergarten at the age of two years and eight months, where she was the youngest child. A five-year-old boy, who was a friend, teased her that she would not be able to play the piano, and Argerich responded by playing perfectly, by ear, a piece their teacher played them. The teacher immediately called the mother and they "started making a fuss." Argerich started learning the piano at the age of three.<ref name="Dean Interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.andrys.com/arg-1979.html |first=Dean |last=Elder |title=Excerpts from "The Mercurial Martha Argerich" |date=5 February 1978 |access-date=23 August 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000607073630/http://www.andrys.com/arg-1979.html |archive-date=7 June 2000}}</ref> At the age of five, she moved to teacher [[Vincenzo Scaramuzza]], who stressed to her the importance of lyricism and feeling. Argerich gave her debut concert in 1949 at the age of eight. The family moved to Europe in 1955, where Argerich studied with [[Friedrich Gulda]] in Austria, whom Argerich describes as one of her major influences. She later studied with [[Stefan Askenase]] and [[Maria Curcio]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Niel Immelman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/apr/14/obituary-maria-curcio |title=The Guardian, 14 April 2009 |newspaper=Guardian |date= 14 April 2009|access-date=4 January 2012 |location=London}}</ref> Argerich also seized opportunities for brief periods of coaching with Madeleine Lipatti (widow of [[Dinu Lipatti]]), [[Abbey Simon]], and [[Nikita Magaloff]].<ref>Manildi, Donald [http://www.musicalamerica.com/features/?fid=66&fyear=2001 Musician of the Year 2001 Martha Argerich], "Musical America", 2001</ref> In 1957, at sixteen, she won both the [[Geneva International Music Competition]] and the [[Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition|Ferruccio Busoni International Competition]] within three weeks of each other.{{#tag:ref|At the latter she met [[Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli]], whom she would later seek out for lessons – although she studied with him for over a year, she only had four lessons with him. Michelangeli, when asked what he had done for Argerich, replied: "I taught her the gift of silence".<ref name="Sweeting">{{cite news | url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9370c7e4-a31f-11e0-a9a4-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9370c7e4-a31f-11e0-a9a4-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription | title=Strains of mood music | work=Financial Times | author=Andrew Clark | date=8 July 2011 | access-date=24 July 2015}}</ref>|group=n}}

Following this success, Argerich had a personal and artistic crisis. After an abortive attempt to study with the Italian pianist [[Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli]], who gave her only four lessons in the space of 18 months, she went to [[New York City]], hoping but failing to meet and study with her idol, [[Vladimir Horowitz]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/martha-argerich-is-a-legend-of-the-classical-music-world-but-she-doesnt-act-like-one/2016/12/01/117095b4-b104-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html|title=Martha Argerich is a legend of the classical music world. But she doesn't act like one.|last1=Midgette|first1=Anne|date=1 December 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> She did not play the piano for three years and considered giving it up to train as a secretary or [[Physician|doctor]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.capradio.org/100037|title=Artist Of The Week: Martha Argerich|first=Kevin|last=Doherty|website=Capradio.org}}</ref> She credited Anny Askenase, the wife of [[Stefan Askenase]], with encouraging her to return to the piano.<ref name="Dean Interview" />