Mieczysław Horszowski (June 23, 1892 – May 22, 1993) was a Polish-American pianist who had one of the longest careers in the history of the performing arts.
Horszowski, who was barely five feet tall, had rather small hands. Thus, he avoided much of the virtuoso repertoire (one possible reason he never attained the "superstar" status of Horowitz or Rubinstein). Horszowski's performances were known for their natural, unforced quality, balancing intellect and emotion. He was frequently praised for his tonal quality, as was common for pupils of Leschetizky.
Having returned to the concert stage with the encouragement of Pablo Casals, he settled in Milan after the First World War, remaining there until he emigrated to the United States during World War II. Following the war, Horszowski frequently gave recitals with artists such as Casals, Alexander Schneider, Joseph Szigeti and the Budapest Quartet. He often appeared at the Prades Festival and the Marlboro Festival.
From 1940 Horszowski lived in the United States, first in New York City and later in Philadelphia. He became an American citizen in 1948. Horszowski performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini, with whom he was friends, in 1943 and 1953. During the 1954–1955 season, he gave a memorable cycle of Beethoven's entire solo piano works in New York. In 1960 he did the same for Mozart's piano sonatas. His very diverse and extensive repertoire also embraced such composers as Honegger, d'Indy, Martinů, Stravinsky, Szymanowski and Villa-Lobos. In 1979, the pianist recorded several works of Lodovico Giustini on a restored Cristofori pianoforte. These works had been commissioned by Cristofori and are the first known compositions written specifically for the pianoforte.
Horszowski twice performed at the White House: with Casals and Schneider in 1961 for President Kennedy and a solo performance in 1979 for President Carter.
Horszowski was widely recorded and can be heard on the HMV, Columbia, RCA, Vanguard, Nonesuch, and other labels. His final recordings for Nonesuch were made when he was in his mid to late nineties. He also taught at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where his pupils included Robert Dennison, Julius Eastman, Richard Goode, Dina Koston, Anton Kuerti, Murray Perahia, Peter Serkin, Steven De Groote, Kathryn Selby, Cecile Licad, and Leslie Spotz.
Mieczysław Horszowski (June 23, 1892 – May 22, 1993) was a Polish-American pianist who had one of the longest careers in the history of the performing arts.
Horszowski, who was barely five feet tall, had rather small hands. Thus, he avoided much of the virtuoso repertoire (one possible reason he never attained the "superstar" status of Horowitz or Rubinstein). Horszowski's performances were known for their natural, unforced quality, balancing intellect and emotion. He was frequently praised for his tonal quality, as was common for pupils of Leschetizky.
Having returned to the concert stage with the encouragement of Pablo Casals, he settled in Milan after the First World War, remaining there until he emigrated to the United States during World War II. Following the war, Horszowski frequently gave recitals with artists such as Casals, Alexander Schneider, Joseph Szigeti and the Budapest Quartet. He often appeared at the Prades Festival and the Marlboro Festival.
From 1940 Horszowski lived in the United States, first in New York City and later in Philadelphia. He became an American citizen in 1948. Horszowski performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini, with whom he was friends, in 1943 and 1953. During the 1954–1955 season, he gave a memorable cycle of Beethoven's entire solo piano works in New York. In 1960 he did the same for Mozart's piano sonatas. His very diverse and extensive repertoire also embraced such composers as Honegger, d'Indy, Martinů, Stravinsky, Szymanowski and Villa-Lobos. In 1979, the pianist recorded several works of Lodovico Giustini on a restored Cristofori pianoforte. These works had been commissioned by Cristofori and are the first known compositions written specifically for the pianoforte.
Horszowski twice performed at the White House: with Casals and Schneider in 1961 for President Kennedy and a solo performance in 1979 for President Carter.
Horszowski was widely recorded and can be heard on the HMV, Columbia, RCA, Vanguard, Nonesuch, and other labels. His final recordings for Nonesuch were made when he was in his mid to late nineties. He also taught at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where his pupils included Robert Dennison, Julius Eastman, Richard Goode, Dina Koston, Anton Kuerti, Murray Perahia, Peter Serkin, Steven De Groote, Kathryn Selby, Cecile Licad, and Leslie Spotz.
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