Béla Síki was a Swiss pianist of Hungarian origin. He was born in Budapest on 21 February 1923 and died in Seattle on 29 October 2020, aged 97.
Síki studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Leo Weiner and Ernst von Dohnányi. He moved to Switzerland in 1945, where he continued his studies with Dinu Lipatti. In 1948 he won the Geneva Competition.
His international solo career took him to every continent, where he performed with leading conductors and symphony orchestras. He also made several recordings and became widely respected as a music educator.
In 1965 Síki moved to the United States and joined the faculty of the University of Washington in Seattle. From 1980 to 1985 he taught at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, then returned to Seattle, where he taught until his retirement in 1993.
He was frequently invited to serve on juries for international music competitions in Leeds, Geneva and Bolzano. His pupils included the Dutch pianists Jan Wijn and Ben Smits.
Síki wrote Piano Repertoire: A Guide to Interpretation and Performance, published by Schirmer Books in 1981.