Anton Kuerti
Encyclopedia
Anton Kuerti, OC
(born July 21, 1938, in Vienna
, Austria
) is an Austria
n-born Canadian pianist
, music teacher, composer, and conductor
. Since his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto
with the Boston Pops Orchestra
at age 11, he has developed international recognition as a solo pianist, particularly focusing on the works of Beethoven. Kuerti studied music at the Longy School of Music
, Cleveland Institute of Music
and the Curtis Institute. His teachers included Arthur Loesser
, Rudolf Serkin
and Mieczysław Horszowski. He also studied at the age of 16 at The Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, with Henry Cowell
of whom he has written; see "Henry Cowell: Enfant Terrible of American Music," Queen's Quarterly 102/3 (Fall 1995) 627-632.
Even with international recognition as a solo performer, Kuerti has also been generous in sharing his talents within Canada. He has performed in 150 communities throughout Canada and with every professional orchestra. He has received numerous honourary doctorates. In 1980, he founded the Festival of the Sound
, a classical music festival in Parry Sound, Ontario
.
Kuerti is one of today’s most recorded artists. His recordings include all the Beethoven
concertos and sonatas, the Schubert
sonatas, the Brahms
concertos, and works by many other composers. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada
. In 2007 he was appointed to the special one-year Schulich Professorship Schulich School of Music
at McGill University
in Montreal
as visiting professor. In 2008 he was awarded the Canadian Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Kuerti is also the artistic director Mooredale Concerts, and of the Mooredale Youth Orchestras, a small Toronto-based set of three orchestras for children and teen-agers founded by his late wife, cellist Kristine Bogyo.
His son Julian Kuerti
is the assistant conductor to the Boston Symphony.
candidate in Don Valley North
in the 1988 federal election
. He signed a tax resistance vow in 1966 to protest the Vietnam War.
Kuerti strongly criticized Israel
's invasion of Gaza in early 2009. He was quoted as saying, "The unbelievable war crimes that Israel is committing in Gaza ... it makes me ashamed to be a Jew. The servile way in which Canada is supporting the U.S. position - basically it's all Hamas's fault because of missiles that they throw over in desperation - I think this reluctance of Canada to use its influence makes me ashamed to be Canadian."
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born July 21, 1938, in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) is an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born Canadian pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, music teacher, composer, and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. Since his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
at age 11, he has developed international recognition as a solo pianist, particularly focusing on the works of Beethoven. Kuerti studied music at the Longy School of Music
Longy School of Music
The Longy School of Music of Bard College is a conservatory located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1915, it was one of the four independent degree-granting music schools in the Boston region along with the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Boston...
, Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
and the Curtis Institute. His teachers included Arthur Loesser
Arthur Loesser
Arthur Loesser was an American classical pianist and writer.Born into a musical family, Loesser received early training from his father until he began lessons with Sigismund Stojowski at the Institute of Musical Art, now called the Juilliard School.Loesser was the author of the books Humor in...
, Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin , was a Bohemian-born pianist.-Life and early career:Serkin was born in Eger, Bohemia, Austro-Hungarian Empire to a Russian-Jewish family....
and Mieczysław Horszowski. He also studied at the age of 16 at The Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, with Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
of whom he has written; see "Henry Cowell: Enfant Terrible of American Music," Queen's Quarterly 102/3 (Fall 1995) 627-632.
Even with international recognition as a solo performer, Kuerti has also been generous in sharing his talents within Canada. He has performed in 150 communities throughout Canada and with every professional orchestra. He has received numerous honourary doctorates. In 1980, he founded the Festival of the Sound
Festival of the Sound
Festival of the Sound is an annual classical music festival that occurs from July to August in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.Established in 1980 by Anton Kuerti, the festival's original artistic director, the annual festival was held in the auditorium of Parry Sound High School until the opening of...
, a classical music festival in Parry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
.
Kuerti is one of today’s most recorded artists. His recordings include all the Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
concertos and sonatas, the Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
sonatas, the Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
concertos, and works by many other composers. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 2007 he was appointed to the special one-year Schulich Professorship Schulich School of Music
Schulich School of Music
The Schulich School of Music is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University in Montréal, Canada. The faculty was named after benefactor Seymour Schulich.-History:Music at McGill – The Beginning...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
as visiting professor. In 2008 he was awarded the Canadian Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Kuerti is also the artistic director Mooredale Concerts, and of the Mooredale Youth Orchestras, a small Toronto-based set of three orchestras for children and teen-agers founded by his late wife, cellist Kristine Bogyo.
His son Julian Kuerti
Julian Kuerti
Julian Andreas Kuerti is a Canadian conductor. He has most recently served as Assistant Conductor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of James Levine....
is the assistant conductor to the Boston Symphony.
Political views
A longtime peace activist, Kuerti was also the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate in Don Valley North
Don Valley North
Don Valley North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. It was located the city of North York, in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1987, and was first used in the federal election of 1988...
in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. He signed a tax resistance vow in 1966 to protest the Vietnam War.
Kuerti strongly criticized Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's invasion of Gaza in early 2009. He was quoted as saying, "The unbelievable war crimes that Israel is committing in Gaza ... it makes me ashamed to be a Jew. The servile way in which Canada is supporting the U.S. position - basically it's all Hamas's fault because of missiles that they throw over in desperation - I think this reluctance of Canada to use its influence makes me ashamed to be Canadian."
External links
- Anton Kuerti bio
- Watch the short documentary Anton & the Piano, National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
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)