Horszowski, Mieczyslaw (1892–1993)

Polish-born US pianist. His concert career of over 90 years is by far the longest ever. He was a fine interpreter of Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin, and a champion of new music, particularly that of his compatriot Karol Szymanowski.

A noted chamber music player, he formed duos and trios with the Catalan cellist, conductor, and composer Pablo Casals, the Russian-born violinist Alexander Schneider, and the Hungarian-born violinist Joseph Szigeti. He frequently took part in festivals, including the Prades Festival in southwest France, organized by Casals, the Marlboro Festival in Vermont, USA, and, in later years, the Aldeburgh Festival in the UK. Among his most famous students are Eugene Istomin, Peter Serkin, Murray Perahia, and Andras Schiff.

Horszowski was a child prodigy; at a very early age he studied with Hendryk Melcer at the Lviv Conservatory and when he was seven performed in public for the first time, playing by heart all of Bach's Two-Part Inventions. Also at seven he went to Vienna, Austria, to become a pupil of Theodor Leschetizky, the great Polish teacher who taught so many legendary pianists. He later went to Paris, France, and studied with the composer Maurice Ravel, and the leading French pianist of the day, Alfred Cortot. In 1906 he toured the USA for the first time. Then followed a further period of study until 1913 when, by now a mature artist, he launched himself on his extraordinary career. In 1940 he emigrated to the USA where he taught at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.