Michel Sogny

Michel Sogny (born 1947 in Pau, France) is a French pianist, composer and writer of Hungarian descent who developed a new approach to teaching the piano, designed so that students of all ages, adults included, can learn an instrument often thought unattainable unless begun in childhood. He studied at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne, and founded a music school in Paris in 1974, followed by a second in Geneva. His method has two parts: short didactic exercises called Prolégomènes that train the perception of musical sound, and a cycle of études that develop technique such as hand gestures and positions. More than 20,000 students are reported to have learned by it since 1974. He also founded the SOS Talents Foundation, which supports gifted young pianists from economically poor backgrounds, and has published books on music and philosophy and scores with French music publishers.