Menahem pressler biography for kids
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Menahem Pressler, founding member and pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio, has established han själv among the world’s most distinguished and honored musicians, with a career that spans almost six decades. Now, at 91 years old, he continues to captivate audiences throughout the world as performer and pedagogue, performing solo and chamber music recitals to great critical acclaim while maintaining a dedicated and robust teaching career.
Born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1923, Pressler fled Nazi Germany in 1939 and emigrated to Israel. Pressler’s world renowned career was launched after he was awarded first prize at the Debussy International Piano Competition in San Francisco in 1946. This was followed by his successful American debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra beneath the baton of Maestro Eugene Ormandy. Since then, Pressler’s extensive tours of North amerika and europe have included performances with the orchestras of New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Francisco, Lo
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Remembering Menahem Pressler
A complete list of his performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra — as piano soloist and as a member of the Beaux Arts Trio — is below.
July 27, 1950, Ravinia Festival
RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
William Steinberg, conductor
Menahem Pressler, piano
July 30, 1950, Ravinia Festival
GRIEG Piano Concerto in A Minor
William Steinberg, conductor
Menahem Pressler, piano
July 26, 1957, Ravinia Festival
BEETHOVEN Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello in C Major, Op. 56 (Triple)
Georg Solti, conductor
Beaux Arts Trio
Menahem Pressler, piano
Daniel Guilet, violin
Bernard Greenhouse, cello
June 8 and 9, 1972, Orchestra Hall
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21
Aldo Ceccato, conductor
Menahem Pressler, piano
July 29, 1984, Ravinia Festival
BEETHOVEN Fantasy in C Minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Op. 80 (Choral Fantasy)
Kurt Masur, conductor
Menahem Pressler, piano
Sally Schweikert, soprano
Elaine Rogala, soprano
Cynthi
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Menahem Pressler: A century of legend
Pressler recorded almost the entire piano trio repertoire with the Beaux Arts Trio. In 2015, Decca released a 60-CD set of the trio’s complete Philips recordings, comprising some 122 works. Additionally, he compiled more than 30 solo recordings.
The piano legend’s second volume of the complete set of Mozart sonatas for the La Dolce Volta label was released in 2017. His CD of French music for Deutsche Grammophon, Clair de Lune, was released in 2018, and his Schumann recording featuring Dichterliebe with Matthias Goerne and Kinderszenen for Harmonia Mundi was released in 2019.
Pressler’s own ninetieth birthday concert, live from the Salle Pleyel in Paris, was recorded for DVD and CD with the Ebène Quartet and Prégardien, among others. The documentary The Life I Love: The Pianist Menahem Pressler won Grand Prize at the Golden Prague International Television Festival in 2015.
Books honoring his life and legacy