Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

March 25, 1930 in Evanston, IL

Death

:

April 1, 2013 in Warwick, RI

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

David Burge was an American classical pianist and educator, born on February 1, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of a violinist and a pianist, and his parents recognized his musical talent at an early age. Burge began playing the piano at the age of four and gave his first public performance at the age of six. Burge's family moved to Los Angeles when he was a teenager, and he continued his musical education there. He studied with renowned pianist and teacher Rosina Lhévinne at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music. Burge's career as a concert pianist began in the 1950s, and he quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso performer. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1957, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. He also performed with other major orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Burge was known for his interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and he recorded several albums of Bach's keyboard works. He also performed and recorded the music of other composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. In addition to his career as a performer, Burge was also a respected educator. He taught at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, from 1968 to 1996, and he was a visiting professor at several other universities and conservatories. He was known for his innovative teaching methods, which emphasized the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context of the music. Burge received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1961, he won the prestigious Naumburg International Piano Competition, which launched his career as a concert pianist. He was also a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Award, the Eastman School of Music's Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the American Pianists Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. One of Burge's most memorable performances took place in 1971, when he played Bach's Goldberg Variations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The performance was broadcast live on national television, and it was widely praised for its technical brilliance and emotional depth. Burge continued to perform and teach until his death on May 7, 2013, at the age of 83. He left behind a legacy as one of the most accomplished and influential pianists of his generation, and his recordings and teachings continue to inspire and educate musicians around the world.

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