(1922-1999),
Distinguished Professor in piano, Indiana University:
"... I consider Benedicte Palko as a young artist on the threshold of a successful performing career. She possesses an accomplished technique , never self-serving, although an important asset in itself.
Her ample and diversified repertoire belies her age. It encompasses the widest range of styles, and she is serving each authentically and with devotedness ..."

Benedicte Palko was born in 1972 in Stavanger, Norway, and is of Norwegian-Hungarian parents. She is permanently residing in Seville, Spain.  

A frequent soloist and chamber musician, Benedicte Palko is well known for her technical brilliance and beauty of tone and melody. Her repertoire covers a wide range of styles from baroque to contemporary music. She has had several works written specially for her.

Benedicte Palko is very active both as a soloist and demanded chamber musician and has shown herself as a higly appreciated partner for many reknown musicians. She forms duos with cellist Lluís Claret and violinist Sakari Tepponen and colaborates among others with the German KUSS Quartet. She has given recitals, chambermusic concerts and appeared as soloist with orchestra in Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, Latvia, Holland, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain and USA.

Benedicte Palko is the founder and artistic leader of the “International Chamber Music Festival – Joaquín Turina” which will take place for the third time in Seville, Spain 4.-1. of September 2011. The official webpage is www.festivalturina.com

Benedicte Palko has a sincere pedagogical interest and is very activeas a teacher. She gives master classesregularly in Spain and in different, European countries. In Sevilleshe has her own piano classwith students fromall over Andalucía, and she is a professor at MUSIKENE, the superior conservatoryof the Basque country, in chamber music and the repertory of violin and piano. www.musikene.ne

For her playing Benedicte Palko has received several prizes and awards. Among others Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, Helge Klaestad legat, SHELL prisen and Harby's legat.
While living in Denmark she was also given a Steinway grand piano to her disposition by the Danish "Augustinus Foundation".

Benedicte Palko studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music with prof. Einar Steen-Noekleberg. She continued her studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Prof. Jose Ribera, where she completed diploma and soloist studies with her official soloistdebut in November 1998. A US-Fulbright Foundation scholarship made possible for Benedicte Palko to study with the legendary pianist and teacher Distinguished Prof. György Sebök, (ABOUT SEBÖK), for 2 years at Indiana University School of Music Bloomington, USA.Here she completed the highest diploma for soloists:

Artist Diploma.Benedicte has recorded the Sonata in f-minor by Prokofieff and preludes for violin and piano by Shostakovich with violinist Sakari Tepponen.