Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Hungary

Birth

:

September 21, 1912 in Budapest, Hungary

Death

:

December 9, 2005 in New York City, NY

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

György Sándor was a Hungarian-American pianist and composer who was born on September 21, 1912, in Budapest, Hungary. He was one of the most prominent pianists of the 20th century, known for his virtuosic technique and his interpretations of the works of composers such as Bartók, Beethoven, and Chopin. Sándor began his musical studies at the age of five, and by the time he was eight, he was already performing in public. He studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he was a student of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály. He also studied with Arnold Schoenberg in Vienna and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Sándor made his debut as a pianist in 1930, and he quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso performer. He performed extensively throughout Europe in the 1930s, and he made his American debut in 1939, playing with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. During World War II, Sándor served in the Hungarian army, and he was captured by the Russians in 1944. He spent several months in a prisoner-of-war camp before being released. After the war, he resumed his career as a pianist, and he became a naturalized American citizen in 1948. Sándor's career as a pianist continued to flourish in the post-war years. He performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He also made numerous recordings, including a highly acclaimed set of the complete piano works of Bartók. In addition to his career as a performer, Sándor was also a respected composer. He wrote music for piano, chamber ensembles, and orchestra, and his works were performed by many leading musicians. Sándor was the recipient of many awards and honors throughout his career. In 1956, he was awarded the Kossuth Prize, Hungary's highest cultural honor. He was also awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 1992. In the United States, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, shortly before his death. Sándor continued to perform and teach until his death on December 9, 2005, at the age of 93. He was remembered as one of the greatest pianists of his generation, and his recordings and performances continue to be admired by music lovers around the world.

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