Gary Graffman, a renowned American pianist, teacher, and administrator, passed away last Saturday, December 27, at his Manhattan home. He was 97.
A child prodigy, Graffman entered the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 7, and studied with Isabelle Vengerova. In 1946, he made his professional debut, appearing with conductor Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. After winning the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1949, he studied extensively with Vladimir Horowitz and, during the summers, Rudolf Serkin at the Marlboro Music Festival. Graffman maintained a demanding concert schedule until the age of 50, when he was diagnosed with focal dystonia. The debilitating neurological condition affected the fingers of his right hand.
Graffman’s attention shifted to teaching and writing. In 1980, he joined the Curtis faculty, where his students included Lang Lang and Yuja Wang. In 1986, Graffman became the director of Curtis, and in 1995 he became the school’s first president. His memoir, I Really Should Be Practicing, was published in 1981. Graffman championed Korngold’s neglected Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, performing the work’s UK premiere in 1985.
Here are excerpts from Gary Graffman’s discography:
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 (George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra)
Recorded in Cleveland’s Severance Hall, this standard-setting 1966 recording has been praised for its dramatic power, virtuosity, and “steely patina.”
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic)
This famous recording was made for the soundtrack of Woody Allen’s 1979 film, Manhattan.
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic)
Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
Recordings
- Gary Graffman’s complete discography