ashkenazy was born in gorky, russia. his father was an ashkenazi jew, his mother was russian. although his father was a pianist he never had lessons from him. he began playing the piano when he was six. he soon showed enormous talent and two years later went to the central music school in gorki. he graduated from the moscow conservatory. he won second prize in the international frederick chopin piano competition in warsaw in 1955 and the first prize in the queen elisabeth music competition in brussels in 1956. he shared the first prize in the 1962 international tchaikovsky competition with british pianist john ogdon.