Martha Argerich (Argentine Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾta aɾxeˈɾitʃ]; Eastern Catalan: [əɾʒəˈɾik]; born 5 June 1941) is an Argentine classical concert pianist. She is widely considered to be one of the greatest living pianists.

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argerich gave her debut concert at the age of eight before receiving further piano training in Europe. At sixteen, she won both the Geneva International Music Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni International Competition, and her international career was launched after winning the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1965. Since the 1980s, she has prioritized collaborative performance, appearing frequently with artists including Nelson Freire, Mischa Maisky, and Gidon Kremer. Argerich is particularly known for her interpretations of the works by composers such as Chopin, Ravel, Liszt, Prokofiev, and Schumann.

Argerich was born in Buenos Aires. Her paternal ancestors were from Catalonia, based in Buenos Aires since the 18th century. Her maternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire, who settled in Colonia Villa Clara in Argentina's Entre Ríos Province, one of the colonies established by Baron de Hirsch and the Jewish Colonization Association. The provenance of the name Argerich is Catalonia.

Argerich began kindergarten around three years old, where she was the youngest child. A five-year-old boy, who was a friend, teased her that she would not be able to play the piano, and Argerich responded by playing a piece perfectly by ear. Around the same time, started learning the piano at the age of three. At the age of five, she began to study under Vincenzo Scaramuzza, who emphasized lyricism and feeling.

Argerich performed in her first concert in 1949 at the age of eight. Six years later, her family moved to Europe. There, Argerich studied with Friedrich Gulda in Austria, whom she described as one of her major influences. She later studied with Stefan Askenase and Maria Curcio.

Argerich also studied under Madeleine Lipatti (widow of Dinu Lipatti), Abbey Simon, and Nikita Magaloff. In 1957, at sixteen, she won both the Ferruccio Busoni International Competition and the Geneva International Music Competition.

Following this success, Argerich had a personal and artistic crisis. After an attempt to study with the Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, who gave her only four lessons in the space of 18 months, she went to New York City with the intention of studying under Vladimir Horowitz. For three years, Argerich stopped playing piano and considered pursuing a career as a secretary or doctor. She credited Anny Askenase, the wife of Stefan Askenase, with encouraging her to return to the piano.

Argerich’s performing career began in Argentina. In 1949, Argerich gave her first concerto performance at the age of eight at the Auditorio Radio El Mundo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 the following year, under the direction of Scaramuzza; both concerts were broadcast on the National Radio of Argentina. Argerich gave additional concerts as part of a radio concert series for soloists and appeared in a series, featuring Beethoven’s piano sonatas.