Schiff was born into a wealthy Jewish family in Budapest in 1953, after the disaster of World War II caused huge damage to his family. Despite the deep emotional scars left by this tragedy, Schiff recalls having a normal and beautiful childhood.

Schiff never considered himself a child prodigy, saying that he preferred to play football. He still pities many of today's prodigies, as "behind every single one of them are very benevolent but terrible parents, who are destroying these children".

Nobody forced Schiff into music, but his mother often took him to concerts to hear virtuoso pianists Sviatoslav Richter and Arthur Rubinstein. These beautiful childhood memories and experiences shaped his adolescence and helped form his artistic personality.

Listening to pianistic greats at an early age also strengthened his belief in live music. Schiff loves to share art with others and, for him, live performances establish a three-way community involving the composer, performer and the listener. Cycles and carefully planned series of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Bartók, the core of his repertoire, continue to form an important part of his activities.

As Schiff continued to grow as a pianist and interpreter, he developed an astonishing control of the keyboard. Penetrating clarity of counterpoint and a masterful control of balance in both hands produced deeper and more decisive interpretations. Paired with a keen intelligence in terms of phrasing, Schiff now tenderly shapes his music with an acute understanding of contrast and dramatic weight.