The complete idiot's guide to classical music (68 page)

Now that you know a little something about some of the extraodinary singers who make the 1990s such a wonderful time to be musically alive, here’s an equivalent look at a few pianists, violinists, flutists, and other instrumental masters.

Emanuel Ax
(b. 1949) American pianist of Polish origin. After studying at Juilliard, Ax won international recognition in 1974 when he won the first Artur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. He has since performed with the world’s leading symphony orchestras and graced the foremost concert halls of the world. He is especially admired for his fluent, elegant, and powerful interpretations of Chopin and Schumann.

Victor Borge
(b. 1909) American pianist and humorist of Danish origin. Despite Borge’s early display of prodigious talent, this pupil of Liszt had no ambition to become a concert virtuoso. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1940 to escape the Nazi occupation of Denmark, and embarked on a truly unique career as a keyboard comedian. In addition to interrupting his etudes for a display of his sharp wit, he developed a remarkable facility for imitating anything from basses to Jenny Lind (with some liberty taken). He has appeared on radio, television, and films, and has continued performing well into his 80s.

Yefim Bronfman
(b. 1958) American pianist of Russian origin. Bronfman studied music from early childhood; and after his family emigrated from the Soviet Union to Israel in 1973, he auditioned for Zubin Mehta, an event leading to his international debut with the Montreal Symphony under Mehta. He has appeared with the formost orchestras (notably the Israel Philharmonic, with which he has a long association), and is a celebrated performer of chamber music. He has won international praise for his solo, chamber, and orchestral recordings.

Chee-Yun
(b. 1970) Korean violinist. Chee-Yun is an award
-
winner. She has been the recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1994), a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions (1989), and a nominee for Best Debut in the first annual Cannes Classical Awards at the MIDEM international music convention (1994). She made her performing debut in her native Seoul at the age of eight after winning the Grand Prize of the Korean Times Competition. Today she is hailed as one of the world’s most gifted young violinists. At 13, Chee-Yun came to the U.S., where she was invited to perform the Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5 in a Young People’s Concert with the New York Philharmonic. In 1985, she performed as a soloist with the New York String Orchestra under Alexander Schneider at Carnegie Hall and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Her interpretation of Mendelssohn’s E Minor Violin Concerto has been praised for its verve and imagination, her sweet and full tone, and at her exemplary polish. Chee-Yun is only at the beginning of her career, an exciting new star to follow as her talent unfolds and matures.

Van Cliburn
(b. 1934) American pianist. Cliburn appeared for the first time as soloist with the New York Philharmonic in 1954, and was immediately hailed as a musical phenomenon. He was praised for his breathtaking virtuoso technique combined with a romantic sensibility. In 1958, he made headlines by winning the First International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow—at the height of the Cold War. He took a hiatus in 1978, to return in 1994 with a triumphant tour. Through thousands of concert appearances and numerous recordings, he has been instrumental in popularizing classical appearances.

Alicia de Larrocha
(b. 1923) Spanish pianist. De Larrocha debuted at the age of 12 with the Madrid Symphony, and following her British (1953) and American (1955) debuts went on to international acclaim. Her performances of Mozart and the romantic repertoire are characterized by a lively attack and subtle, poetic shading, and her prize-winning interpretations of Spanish composers (notably Granados and Albeniz) are unsurpassed.

James Galway
(b. 1939) Irish flutist. Since 1975, Galway has been dazzling audiences with his spectacular technique and elegant style in both classical and popular genres. His humor and charm, combined with his virtuosity make him a unique performance artist. With his 14-carat gold flute he has appeared all over the globe in recitals, concerto performances, chamber music engagements, popular music concerts, and master classes. His award-winning recordings reflect his varied repertoire and singular style.

Evgeny Kissin
(b. 1971) Russian pianist. Evgeny Kissin was born in Moscow; a precocious talent, he began to play and improvise on the piano at the age of two. At age six, he entered the Moscow Gnessin School of Music for Gifted Children, where he began studying with Anna Pavlovna Kantor, who remains his teacher today. He gave his first solo recital at age 11 in Moscow. He performed throughout the former Soviet Union with the Leningrad Philharmonic, the Orchestra of Soviet TV and Radio, and the State Symphony Orchestra of the U.S.S.R. . Kissin first appeared outside Russia in 1985, when he performed in Budapest and East Berlin. In the fall of 1990, Kissin performed the two Chopin concerti with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, and gave the first recital of Carnegie Hall’s centenary season. Kissin has performed with some of the greatest conductors of our time. His 1988 debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and the formidable Herbert von Karajan, and a 1991 New Year’s Eve concert with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado, are only two of his many telecasts.

Louis Lortie
(b. 1959) French-Canadian pianist. Lortie is known as Canada’s most celebrated pianist and one of the most remarkable musical personalities of his generation. Following his spectacular debut in Toronto, he performed as guest soloist with the Toronto Symphony during its historic tour of the People’s Republic of China and Japan. He has appeared with many major orchestras, often performs at the most prestigious festivals, and is involved in several chamber music projects. His discography reflects his extensive repertoire and his amazing virtuosity.

Yo-Yo Ma
(b. 1955) American cellist of Chinese heritage. One of the most sought after performers, Yo-Yo Ma has appeared with eminent conductors and orchestras in all the music capitals of the world. In addition to his brilliant career as a soloist, he is active in chamber music concerts, and his long-standing partnership with Emanuel Ax is one of the most successful collaborations in classical music. In addition to his classical repertoire, he enjoys premiering works by contemporary composers and takes time from his busy performing schedule to work with young musicians.

Wynton Marsalis
(b. 1961) African-American trumpet virtuoso. Trained as a classical musician, Marsalis joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1980, toured with his own quintet (which includes his brother Branford, a fine saxophonist), and worked with Miles Davis. In 1984, he earned unprecedented success when he won Grammys in both jazz and classical categories. His discography includes several (best-selling) recordings in each genre. Few—if any—musicians have had such great crossover success.

Midori
(b. 1971) Japanese-American violinist. Midori began her illustrious career with a brilliant debut at the age of ten with the New York Philharmonic on New Year’s Eve 1982. She has shared the concert stage with such prestigious artists as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Asheknazy and others, and performed with the world’s most distinguished orchestras. As a recital artist, she has made several highly acclaimed tours of North America and Europe. In 1992, she established the Midori Foundation, dedicated to bringing classical music to children.

Garrick Ohlsson
(b. 1948) American pianist. Ohlsson was the first American to win Warsaw’s International Chopin Competition in 1970. An unsurpassed Chopin interpreter, hailed for his “big, brilliant, American” technique and unique style, he is an enormously talented virtuoso. He premiered Liszt’s recently discovered “Walse in A Major”; his repertoire includes Beethoven and Haydn as well as the Romantics. He has appeared worldwide in solo concerts as well as with orchestras and ensembles to unanimous acclaim.

Murray Perahia
(b. 1947) American pianist. In 1972, Perahia became the first American to win the prestigious Leeds Piano Competition, and so began his international career. He regularly appears in concerts and recitals in all of the music capitals of the world, and has performed with the most renowned orchestras. His is admired for his stylistic delicacy and sensitivity, notably in Chopin and Schumann, and has recorded all of Mozart’s concertos, directing from the keyboard.

Itzhak Perlman
(b. 1945) Israeli violinist. One of the greatest violinists of our time, Perlman made his formal debut at Carnegie Hall in 1963. Two years later he was an internationally acclaimed virtuoso, and was unanimously praised for his peerless technique. He has recorded virtually every major violin work and has teamed with such prestigious artists as Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma, to name only two. He is hailed not only for his incomparable musicianship, but for his exaltation of the human spirit.

Maria Joao Pires
Pianist. After an interruption of her brilliant early career due to ill health, she has returned to the concert stage, and is now regarded as one of the most intriguing and remarkable artists of the day. She is celebrated as a mature and eloquent performer of the great classical repertoire—Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin.

Awadigan Pratt
American pianist. Born in Pittsburgh, the young African-American Pratt began his music lessons at age six in Normal, Illinois. “Astonishing” is only one of the words used to describe this performer acclaimed for the pure physicality and virtuosity of his playing, as well as his depth of feeling and uniquely personal style. In 1992, Pratt won the Naumburg International Piano Competition, followed in 1994 by the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has performed in recitals throughout the U.S. . His first album bears the distinctively descriptive title,
A Long Way from Normal,
and was followed with a second all-Beethoven disc. Pratt has appeared on
The Today Show
,
Good Morning America
,
CBS Good Morning
, and
Live from Kennedy Center
.

Jean-Pierre Rampal
(b. 1922) French flutist. Rampal began playing recitals in concurrence with his first position as a solo flutist with the Vichy Opera (1946–50), but it was not until he became soloist with the Paris Opera in 1956 that his radio performances led him to international fame. He has since toured the world with phenomenal success as a virtuoso, with the foremost orchestras and in recital. He has also appeared as a guest conductor. Major composers have written pieces for him, and through countless recordings and concerts, he has done more than any other flutist to bring his instrument into the mainstream of musical life.

Sviatoslav Richter
(b. 1915) Russian pianist. One of the greatest pianists of the century; amazingly, Richter was largely self-taught. He first achieved acclaim for his splendid performances of Prokofiev, and has since been singularly praised for his supreme virtuosity, poetic phrasing, and his extensive range of tone color. He has numerous recordings to his credit, and is most celebrated for his romantic repertoire, especially Schubert and Schumann.

Peter Schickele
(b. 1935) American composer and musical humorist. Schickele skyrocketed to fame in 1965 with the Town Hall debut of that questionable albeit hilarious musical talent, the mythical P.D.Q. Bach. As P.D.Q. Bach he has composed such masterpieces as “The Seasonings,” and “Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycles, and Balloons
.”
As Peter Schickele, he has composed numerous works for major symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles, along with the film scores for Maurice Sendak’s classics
Where the Wild Things Are
and
In the Night Kitchen
.

Peter Serkin
(b. 1947) American pianist. Born into a musical family (his father was famed pianist Rudolf Serkin), Serkin is noted as an artist of passion and integrity, a literate and individualistic interpreter of both classical and contemporary music. His interests range from Bach to Mozart (his splendid recordings of Mozart are highly praised) to Messiaen, and he consistently opts for diversity in his programs. He has performed in collaboration with many distinguished artists, and was the first pianist to be awarded the Premio Internazionale Musicale Chigiana in recognition of his outstanding artistic achievement.

Isaac Stern
(b. 1920) American violinist of Russian origin. One of the most renowned violinists of the century, Stern made his recital debut at the age of 13 in San Francisco, and three years later he made his orchestral debut with the San Francisco Symphony in a concert that was broadcast nationally. In addition to his extremely prestigious solo career, his recent collaborations include a partnership with Yefim Bronfman, as well as frequent chamber appearances and recordings with Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to his highly acclaimed interpretations of the classics, he is an avowed champion of contemporary music and has premiered works by many famous 20th century composers. He has also played an invaluable role in furthering the careers of young musicians.

Krystian Zimerman
(b. 1956) Polish pianist. In 1975, as the youngest entrant, Zimerman won first prize in the Chopin Competition, along with a special Gold Medal for his performances of Chopin’s Mazurkas and Polonaises. At first he limited his performing career to fine-tune his talents, but concerts in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. quickly earned him international recognition. He has performed with Europe’s major orchestras as well as in solo recital. His preference for live as opposed to studio recordings where possible, enables music lovers to recreate his spectacular performances at home.