Portugal's Artur Pizarro represents an artistic lineage stretching directly back to Franz Liszt. Wins at several major competitions helped him Pizarro notice; these included the Vianna da Motta Competition in 1987 and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 1990. In 1992, Pizarro made his recording debut with a performance of Liszt's Sonata in B minor. Pizarro has appeared with major orchestras both within and outside Portugal, performing under such major conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Charles Dutoit. In 2003, he issued an album of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas, and he issued a complete cycle of Rachmaninov's solo piano works in 2016.