American pianist Gary Graffman passed away at his home in New York on December 27. He was 97. After rising to prominence as one of America’s leading pianists at a young age, he dedicated himself to teaching the next generation following an arm injury.
Born in Manhattan, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents, he began piano at age three and entered the Curtis Institute of Music at seven, studying under Isabelle Vengerova and Josef Hoffman.
After graduating, he made his solo debut performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. In 1949, he won the Leventritt International Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall, launching his international career.
He subsequently honed his craft under Vladimir Horowitz and Rudolf Serkin, building a core repertoire around Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Beethoven, Brahms, and Chopin while performing extensively with renowned orchestras across Europe and America. He also made numerous guest appearances at festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival.
He established his reputation through a musical intelligence devoid of flashiness. However, after spraining his right ring finger in 1977, he developed focal dystonia in 1979, which impaired his right hand, leading him to retire from concert performances.
The following year, 1980, he began his teaching career when he was appointed professor at his alma mater, the Curtis Institute of Music. From 1995 to 2006, he served as president of the institute. After stepping down as president, he returned to his role as professor and continued teaching until 2021.
His students included many musicians such as Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Claire Huangci, and Lydia Artymiw. He was also deeply committed to chamber music instruction and served as the chamber music teacher for violinist Hilary Hahn.
Numerous recordings also remain, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was used in Woody Allen’s 1979 film Manhattan.
PHOTO：China Daily
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