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Baroque

 

 

Romantic

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Keyboard

 

Ernst-Erich Stender was a renowned classical music artist who made significant contributions to the world of music. He was born on August 22, 1924, in Berlin, Germany. Stender's parents were both musicians, and they encouraged him to pursue music from a young age. He began playing the piano at the age of six and showed exceptional talent. Stender's musical education began at the Berlin Conservatory, where he studied under the tutelage of renowned pianist and composer, Walter Gieseking. He later continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where he studied with Edwin Fischer. Stender's talent and dedication to music were evident from an early age, and he quickly became one of the most promising young pianists in Germany. In 1943, Stender was drafted into the German army and was sent to fight on the Eastern Front. During his time in the army, he continued to play the piano whenever he could, and he even gave impromptu performances for his fellow soldiers. However, in 1944, Stender was captured by the Soviet army and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war. After the war, Stender returned to Berlin and resumed his musical studies. He quickly established himself as one of the most talented young pianists in Germany, and he began to receive invitations to perform at major concerts and festivals. In 1950, he won first prize at the International Piano Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, which helped to launch his international career. Stender's career as a concert pianist took him all over the world, and he performed with some of the most prestigious orchestras and conductors of his time. He was particularly renowned for his interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, and he was widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of his generation. One of the highlights of Stender's career was his performance at the Salzburg Festival in 1956. He performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor," with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Herbert von Karajan. The performance was a huge success, and it helped to cement Stender's reputation as one of the world's leading pianists. Stender also had a successful recording career, and he recorded many of the great works of the piano repertoire for major record labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and EMI. His recordings of the Beethoven piano sonatas are particularly highly regarded, and they are still considered to be some of the definitive recordings of these works. In addition to his career as a performer, Stender was also a respected teacher. He taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin for many years, and he also gave masterclasses all over the world. Many of his students went on to have successful careers as pianists in their own right. Stender's career was not without its challenges, however. In 1961, he suffered a serious injury to his right hand, which threatened to end his career as a pianist. However, he refused to give up, and he worked tirelessly to rehabilitate his hand and regain his technique. He eventually made a full recovery and was able to resume his career as a performer. Stender continued to perform and teach well into his later years. He was awarded numerous honors and awards for his contributions to music, including the Order of Merit of Berlin and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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