Leon Fleisher

Leon Fleisher ( born July 23, 1928 in San Francisco ) is an American pianist and conductor.

Biography

Fleisher began playing the piano at the age of four years. With eight he had his first public appearance. Already as a teenager he performed with the New York Philharmonic. Artur Schnabel took him into his small circle of students and influenced his style of play greatly.

Fleisher is still known for his recordings in collaboration with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra in the 1950s and early sixties. They were the result of a contractual agreement with the company " Columbia Masterworks ".

Of exceptional quality are the recordings of the piano concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, along with the Piano Concerto No. 25 by Mozart and the piano concertos of Grieg and Schumann, the " Symphonic Variations " by César Franck and Rachmaninoff's " Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini ".

In the 1960s, Fleisher lost due to an illness that was eventually diagnosed as focal dystonia, the use of the right hand largely. Since then he has taught mainly. In addition, he took on various works from the repertoire for the left hand. He joined because of its restriction over thirty years exclusively as a left-handed concert pianist.

Since 1998, providing him with the regular injection of botulinum toxin ( Botox) to play with the right hand again with almost no restrictions. 2007 Fleisher was awarded the Kennedy Award.

Today Fleisher, despite his advanced age, active as a conductor and teacher at several musical colleges. Among other things, it acts as before the Tanglewood Music Center. His students include Orit Wolf, Jonathan Biss, Yefim Bronfman, Naida Cole, Mr. Elisi, Enrique Graf, Hélène Grimaud, Hao Huang, Kevin Kenner, Louis Lortie, Wonny song, André Watts, Jack Winerock, Daniel and Einav Yarden Wnukowski.

In November 2010, Fleisher's autobiography was published under the title "My Nine Lives ", co-authored with Anne Midgette, a music critic for the Washington Post.

Discography

  • Leon Fleisher: The Complete Album Collection, Sony 87254 59972, 23 CD.

Film / video recordings

For Biography

  • Nathaniel Kahn: Two Hands - The Leon Fleisher Story ( 2006).
  • Mark Kidel: Leon Fleisher - A pianist invites ( part 1) / ( part 2) / ( Part 3)
  • Interview with Jeffrey Brown

Videos with Leon Fleisher

  • Sheep May Safely Graze (JS Bach: Cantata BVW section of the hunting 208)
  • Leon Fleisher plays Schubert D960
  • Brahms: Piano Concerto n.1 op.15 1st Mvt. (Part 1)
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