Paul Pesthy was a Hungarian-American classical pianist and music educator who was born on August 22, 1929, in Budapest, Hungary. He was the son of a prominent Hungarian lawyer and a mother who was a talented amateur pianist. Pesthy began playing the piano at the age of four and showed exceptional talent from an early age. Pesthy's family fled Hungary during World War II and settled in the United States. Pesthy continued his musical studies in the United States, studying with renowned pianists such as Rudolf Serkin and Mieczyslaw Horszowski. He also studied composition with Roger Sessions at Princeton University. Pesthy made his debut as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic in 1951, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. He quickly established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation, known for his technical brilliance and interpretive depth. He performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, playing with major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Pesthy was particularly known for his performances of the music of Franz Liszt, a fellow Hungarian. He recorded the complete piano music of Liszt for the Vox label, a landmark achievement in the history of recorded classical music. He also recorded the complete piano music of Béla Bartók, another Hungarian composer whose music he championed. In addition to his performing career, Pesthy was a dedicated music educator. He taught at the Juilliard School in New York City for over 30 years, where he was known for his rigorous and demanding teaching style. He also taught at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado and at the Salzburg Mozarteum in Austria. Pesthy received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He was awarded the Liszt Medal by the Hungarian government in 1971, in recognition of his contributions to the promotion of Hungarian music. He was also awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 1991. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. Pesthy continued to perform and teach well into his later years. He died on December 18, 2015, at the age of 86. He was remembered as a brilliant pianist and a dedicated teacher, whose legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians.

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