During the Bach 2000 celebrations, Schiff played all of the composer's keyboard works -- from memory -- in concerts around the world and also conducted a performance of the St. Matthew Passion. Since 1999, he has taken on the challenge of performing all 27 of Mozart's piano concertos at the Mozartwoche of the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, the official "Hüterin des Erbes" (Guardian of the heritage) for the composer in Salzburg. His series is scheduled to end in 2005. During the next few seasons, Schiff's orchestral activities will include conducting programs of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart from the keyboard.

In 1996, Schiff was honored with Hungary's Kossuth Prize, the nation's highest official distinction. He is also a recipient of the Bartók Prize (1991) and the Leonie Sonnings Music Prize (1997) in Copenhagen. Schiff's prolific discography has also garnered him two Grammy awards, one for his recording of the Bach English Suites, and one for his CD of Schubert's Schwanengesang with tenor Peter Schreier.