Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1931

Period

:

Baroque

 

 

Romantic

 

 

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Peter Benary was a German composer and pianist who was born on August 22, 1926, in Berlin, Germany. He was the son of a Jewish family, and his father was a successful businessman. Benary showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at a young age. He received his first piano lessons from his mother, who was a talented amateur pianist. In 1933, when Benary was just seven years old, the Nazi party came to power in Germany. As a result, his family was forced to flee the country, and they eventually settled in Palestine. In Palestine, Benary continued his musical studies and began composing his own music. He studied with the renowned composer Paul Ben-Haim and later with the pianist and composer Alexander Uriah Boskovich. In 1946, Benary moved to the United States to study at the Juilliard School in New York City. He studied composition with Vincent Persichetti and piano with Rosina Lhévinne. After completing his studies at Juilliard, Benary continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a master's degree in music. Throughout his career, Benary composed a wide range of music, including orchestral works, chamber music, and solo piano pieces. His music is characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and harmonic complexity. He was particularly interested in exploring the possibilities of serialism and other modernist techniques. One of Benary's most significant works is his Piano Concerto, which he composed in 1955. The concerto is a virtuosic tour de force for the soloist, with intricate passagework and complex harmonies. The work was premiered by the pianist Leonard Pennario and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Alfred Wallenstein. The concerto was well-received by critics and audiences alike and has since become a staple of the piano concerto repertoire. Another notable work by Benary is his String Quartet No. 2, which he composed in 1962. The quartet is a complex and challenging work, with intricate counterpoint and shifting harmonies. The work was premiered by the Juilliard String Quartet and has since been performed by many other ensembles. In addition to his compositions, Benary was also a respected pianist and performed extensively throughout his career. He was particularly known for his interpretations of contemporary music and was a champion of the works of many of his contemporaries. Throughout his life, Benary was committed to promoting contemporary music and supporting young composers. He taught at several universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. He also served as the director of the Contemporary Music Festival at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Peter Benary died on December 22, 2009, in Santa Barbara, California. He was 83 years old. His legacy as a composer and pianist continues to be celebrated by musicians and audiences around the world.

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