Ben Etkovitch (born 2008) is a Swiss concert pianist and composer from Zurich, Switzerland. He began playing the piano at the age of three and received formal piano education from the age of five. His musical education includes studies at the Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich (MKZ), the Kunst- und Sportschule Zürich and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

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Early life, education and musical career

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Ben Etkovitch was born in 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland. He began playing the piano at the age of three and learned pieces and songs by ear during his early childhood. At the age of five, he began formal piano lessons at the Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich with Carolina Sarmiento. He later entered the Intensivprogramm and Förderprogramm. In addition to piano, he studied music theory with Martin Wettstein. During his studies at MKZ, he completed the Stufentest  1-7 and began performing in concerts organized by MKZ and in external competitions and events.

 

In 2015, Ben Etkovitch participated in the Zürcher Musikwettbewerb and got awarded First Prize. In 2017, at the age of eleven, he participated in the Schweizer Jugendmusikwettbewerb (SJMW) for the first time. He received First Prize in the Entrada and became a finalist. In the same year, he participated in the concert "101 Pianists with Lang Lang" at the Tonhalle Zürich.

In 2018, he participated again in the Schweizer Jugendmusikwettbewerb and received First Prize in the category Contemporary Music. During the same period. In 2019, Ben Etkovitch participated in the “Concerto” Competition and received First Prize. As part of the competition, he performed Joseph Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major with the Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich Orchestra. He later performed at the Beethovenfest Zürich at MKZ.

In 2021, Ben Etkovitch began attending the Kunst- und Sportschule Zürich while continuing his musical education at MKZ. During this period, he completed the Förderprogramm I, II and III at MKZ.

He completed his high school graduation in 2024. In 2022 and 2024, he participated in the Förderpreis and became a finalist in both years. In 2023, he participated again in the Schweizer Jugendmusikwettbewerb, where he received First Prize in the Entrada and became a finalist. In the same year, after completing Stufentest 1–7, he performed at the

"Best of Stufentest" concert. In 2024 and 2025, Ben Etkovitch performed in the recital Junge Nachwuchstalente in Dübendorf. Following his high school graduation in 2024, he attended the Pre-College program at the Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich for one year. The program prepared him for university. In 2025, he performed his first solo recital at the Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich.

In 2025, Etkovitch began his Bachelor of Arts in Music at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He studies piano with Prof. Hiroko Sakagami and music theory with Berit Griebenow. In 2026, he participated in the

Lions International Piano Competition, where he became a finalist.

As of 2026, Ben Etkovitch is a Bachelor of Arts in Music student at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He continues his piano studies with Prof. Hiroko Sakagami.

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Composer

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Ben Etkovitch is a SUISA-registered composer whose compositional output includes numerous works, with a particular focus on symphonic music and solo piano repertoire. Among his solo piano works are the Valse-Fantaisie, Op. 9 and

Valse in G minor, Op. 8. His chamber music includes the Sonata for Violin and Piano in D-flat Major, Op. 1.

Ben Etkovitch's largest compositions are his symphonic works. His major orchestral composition Nyssalie, Op. 2 is a roughly 40-minute ballet in three parts written for orchestra and choir. He has also composed his Symphony No. 1 in G Major, Op. 10, alongside numerous other orchestral, chamber, and piano works.