The Arrau Medal was established by the Robert Schumann Society to memorialize its first honorary member, Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...

, who died in 1991. The medal is awarded to a pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 who is especially committed to the spirit and tradition of Claudio Arrau's keyboard artistry.

The first recipient to be so honoured on 9 June 1994 was András Schiff

András Schiff

András Schiff is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist, who has won a number of awards including the Grammy and made numerous recordings.- Biography :...

. In 1997 the medal was awarded to Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich is an Argentine pianist.-Early life:Argerich was born in Buenos Aires and started playing the piano at age three...

 during the 6th International Schumann Festival, and in 2000 during the 7th International Schumann Festival to Murray Perahia

Murray Perahia

Murray Perahia KBE is an American concert pianist and conductor.-Early life:Murray Perahia was born in the Bronx borough of New York City to a family of Sephardi Jewish origin. According to the biography on his Mozart piano sonatas CD, his first language was Judaeo-Spanish or, Ladino. The family...

.

Further information can be found at http://members.aol.com/schumannga/