Born in Hungary, Miklós Perényi began cello lessons at the age of five with Miklós Zsámboki, a student of David Popper. At nine, he gave his first concert in Budapest and went on to study between 1960 and 1964 with Enrico Mainardi in Rome and, in Budapest, with Ede Banda. In 1963 he became a prize-winner at the International Pablo Casals Cello Competition in Budapest. Casals invited him to his master classes in Puerto Rico in 1965 and 1966, and he went on to become a frequent visitor to the Marlboro Festival. Since 1974 he has taught at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and has held a professorship there since 1980. He was honoured with the Kossuth-Prize in 1980 and the Bartók-Pásztory-Prize in 1987. Beyond performing and teaching, Perényi also devotes his energies to composition of works for solo cello and for instrumental ensembles of various sizes.

He has worked closely with András Schiff for more than 20 years. Recently, the duo played at Cologne’s Philharmonie, the Schwetzingen Festival, London’s Wigmore Hall and the 92nd Street in New York. Another frequent chamber music partners include pianist Dénes Várjon (who also has a solo recital disc, “Precipitando”, released by ECM New Series).