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RUDOLF SERKIN
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Rudolf Serkin
Birthdate: March 28, 1903
Date of death: May 8, 1991
Famous pianist of the world
The outstanding pianist was born on 28th March 1903inCheb in the family of the Russian origin, Mark Serkin opera singer. The commemorative plaque marks his birthplace in the upper part of the square of the King George from Poděbrady. It was placed here on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Serkin’s father gave up his own artistic career to be able to teach Rudolph and his seven siblings to music. He worked as a businessman in Cheb. The little Rudolf was also a student of Miss Clara Taussigova in Cheb; she was a teacher of the playing to the piano. He held his first concert as a seven-year boy in Cheb, where he stunned the audience by his excellent technique.
Serkin’s musical talent was shown at an early age. He was decelerated to be a miracle child at the age of five. The Prague Conservatory, where he wanted to study didn’t accept him according with the boy’s youth.
The first important moment was the meeting of the small Serkin with Alfred Grunfeld, who was one of the greatest pianists of that time. He recommended the boy to the Vienna professor Richard Robert. Then nine years old Serkin, went to Vienna, where he was studying since 1912 piano with Richard Robert and the composition with Josef Max and Arnold Schoenberg. The whole Serkin’s family moved to him in a short time.
He had his debut as a pianist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra which was led by Oskar Nedbal in 1st February 1916. Shortly afterwards, he had a small music solo concert at the Music Association hall in Vienna on 23rd February 1916. The Viennese newspaper “Neue Freie Presse” has brought the admiring news and “Cheb Egerer Zeitung” newspaper has also. And they reprinted passages from the Viennese newspaper at the beginning of March in the same year.
The fateful moment for Serkin’s career was a meeting the famous violinist Adolf Busch, who recognized his immense talent and took him under his wing. He started his own concert career in 1920 in Berlin. He played as Busch’s piano accompaniment. The both artists created a duo soon, which also soon gained recognition at international level. Serkin lived in Switzerland since 1927. He became a professor at the conservatory in Basel later there. He married the daughter of Busch Irene in 1935.
During Adolf Hitler’s rise to the power both artists weren’t allowed to play in Germany because of their Jewish origins. Therefore they focused their attention to the concert performances in America. Serkin made ??his debut at Coolidge Festival in Washington DC in 1933. His show in New York opened the doors to the concert halls in the U.S. for him. He played at the Mozart’s last piano concerto, conducted by the famous Arturo Toscania.
In 1939, Serkin’s family and Busche’s family decided to immigrate to the USA.
Rudolf Serkin got the U.S. citizenship in 1949. He has already thought a decade as a professor of piano at the “Curtis Institute in Philadelfia” then. He had worked there until 1976. He was the director of this school 1968-1976.
In 1950 he initiated the “Marlboro Summer School” in Brattleboro in Vermont, 1951 also at the origin of the local festival, which he was a longstanding artistic director.
In 1960 he became a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
1963 he was awarded by the American president J.F. Kennedy. He got the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Presidia Medal of Freedom).
He became an honorary member of the New York Philharmonic (1972).
He was accepted as one of six members of the monastic chapter Pour la Mérite for Science and Art in Germany 1981.
He was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 1984.
He got the Honorary Ring of the Vienna Philharmonic in 1985.
President Regan awarded him the Medal of Arts (Medal of Arts) in 1988.
He was honoured to be a doctor at various American universities. He has won numerous awards in Germany and Italy. The Bavarian Radio organized a week of Rudolf Serkin on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1983
17th May 1988 it was possible to listen to the virtuoso playing of Rudolf Serkin also in Prague. It was during his piano recital at the Prague Spring Festival.
Rudolf Serkin is considered one of the most important interpreters of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Bach and Schubert.
This Cheb native citizen, who made his hometown famous literally around the world and who has become one of the world’s leading artists, died in 1991 at his farm in Vermont, USA.
(in. Chmelíková, J.: Maestro Rudolf Serkin, Cheb, 2003; Chmelíková, J: Osudy Chebských Židů, Cheb 2000)
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