Role

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Composer  

Period

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Romantic

Genre

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Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Edward Kilenyi was a Hungarian-American pianist and composer who was born on October 22, 1910, in Budapest, Hungary. He was the son of a prominent Hungarian composer and conductor, Edward Kilenyi Sr., who was the founder of the Budapest String Quartet. Kilenyi Jr. began his musical training at a young age, studying piano with his father and composition with Zoltán Kodály. In 1926, Kilenyi Jr. made his debut as a pianist in Budapest, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. He continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he studied with Béla Bartók and Ernst von Dohnányi. Kilenyi Jr. was a prodigious talent, and he quickly gained a reputation as one of the most promising young pianists in Hungary. In 1931, Kilenyi Jr. moved to the United States to continue his studies at the Juilliard School in New York City. He quickly established himself as a leading pianist in the American classical music scene, performing with major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Kilenyi Jr. was known for his virtuosic technique and his ability to bring out the emotional depth of the music he played. Throughout his career, Kilenyi Jr. was a champion of contemporary music, and he premiered many works by American composers such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Elliott Carter. He was also a prolific composer in his own right, and his works were performed by major orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world. One of the highlights of Kilenyi Jr.'s career was his performance of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the New York Philharmonic in 1943. The performance was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Kilenyi Jr. as one of the leading interpreters of Bartók's music. Kilenyi Jr. was also a dedicated teacher, and he taught at the Juilliard School for many years. His students included the pianists Peter Serkin and Richard Goode, both of whom went on to have successful careers as performers and teachers. In addition to his work as a pianist and composer, Kilenyi Jr. was also a respected musicologist and scholar. He wrote extensively on the music of Bartók and Kodály, and he was a leading authority on Hungarian music. Kilenyi Jr. received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Hungarian Order of Merit and the Bartók-Pásztory Award. He was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kilenyi Jr. continued to perform and compose music well into his later years, and he remained an active member of the classical music community until his death on December 28, 2000, at the age of 90. He left behind a legacy as one of the most important pianists and composers of the 20th century, and his contributions to the world of classical music continue to be celebrated and admired today.

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