Horszowski, Mieczyslaw

▪ 1994

      Polish-born U.S. pianist (b. June 23, 1892, Lwow, Poland [now Ukraine]—d. May 22, 1993, Philadelphia, Pa.), had a performing career that spanned more than nine decades; his playing was often praised for its thoughtfulness and beauty of tone. He studied first with his mother (who had studied with Karl Mikuli, a pupil of Chopin) and then, beginning at the age of seven, with the noted teacher Theodor Leschetizky. A child prodigy, Horszowski made his performing debut in 1901 in Warsaw. He settled in the U.S. at the beginning of World War II and in 1941 joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he remained as a teacher for the rest of his life. Among his students were a number of the most prominent of present-day pianists, including Peter Serkin, Murray Perahia, and Richard Goode. Horszowski was known for his collaborations with other musicians, including the cellist Pablo Casals (at festivals in France and Puerto Rico and at the United Nations) and the violinists Joseph Szigeti and Alexander Schneider (q.v.). Concerts and recordings during his 90s, often featuring music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy, received widespread praise.

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