Menahem Pressler
Encyclopedia
Menahem Pressler is a German-born American pianist, founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio
.
conducted by Eugene Ormandy
. Since then, Pressler’s extensive tours of North America and Europe have included performances with the orchestras of New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Francisco, London, Paris, Brussels, Oslo, Helsinki, among others. After a solo career of nearly a decade, he debuted as a chamber musician at the 1955 Berkshire Festival, where he appeared as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio
.
Since 1955, for nearly 60 years, Menahem Pressler has taught on the piano faculty at the Indiana University
Jacobs School of Music where he holds the rank of Distinguished Professor of Music as the Charles Webb Chair. Pressler has had prize-winning students in all of the major international piano competitions, including the Queen Elizabeth, Busoni, Rubenstein, Leeds and VanCliburn competitions. He worked closely for over 30 years with the Emerson String Quartet
.
In 2010 he played at the Rheingau Musik Festival
with Antonio Meneses
, the last cellist of the Beaux Arts Trio, and appeared before in the series Rendezvous.
(Cross of Merit), Germany’s highest honor, and France’s highest cultural honor, the Commandeur in the Order of Arts and Letters award. In April 2011 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Classical Music Awards
in Finland.
, Menahem Pressler has compiled over thirty solo recordings, ranging from the works of Bach to Ben Haim.
Beaux Arts Trio
The Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio. They made their debut on July 13, 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Music Center. Their final American concert was held at Tanglewood on August 21, 2008. It was webcast live and archived on NPR Music...
.
Professional career
Menahem Pressler fled Nazi Germany in 1939 and emigrated to Israel. His career was launched after he was awarded first prize at the Debussy International Piano Competition in San Francisco in 1946. This was followed by his American debut with the Philadelphia OrchestraPhiladelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
conducted by Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.-Early life:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five...
. Since then, Pressler’s extensive tours of North America and Europe have included performances with the orchestras of New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Francisco, London, Paris, Brussels, Oslo, Helsinki, among others. After a solo career of nearly a decade, he debuted as a chamber musician at the 1955 Berkshire Festival, where he appeared as the pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio
Beaux Arts Trio
The Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio. They made their debut on July 13, 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Music Center. Their final American concert was held at Tanglewood on August 21, 2008. It was webcast live and archived on NPR Music...
.
Since 1955, for nearly 60 years, Menahem Pressler has taught on the piano faculty at the Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
Jacobs School of Music where he holds the rank of Distinguished Professor of Music as the Charles Webb Chair. Pressler has had prize-winning students in all of the major international piano competitions, including the Queen Elizabeth, Busoni, Rubenstein, Leeds and VanCliburn competitions. He worked closely for over 30 years with the Emerson String Quartet
Emerson String Quartet
The Emerson String Quartet is a New York–based string quartet in residence at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Previously the Quartet was in residence at The Hartt School. Formed in 1976, they have released more than twenty albums and won nine Grammy Awards. Both violinists...
.
In 2010 he played at the Rheingau Musik Festival
Rheingau Musik Festival
The Rheingau Musik Festival is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres...
with Antonio Meneses
Antonio Meneses
Antônio Meneses Neto is a Brazilian cellist.He won the VI Tchaikovsky competition. A member of the Beaux Arts Trio, Meneses combines an intense soloist concert career with chamber music performances. He is a teacher at Bern's Hochschule der Künste.- References :* *...
, the last cellist of the Beaux Arts Trio, and appeared before in the series Rendezvous.
Awards and recognitions
Among his honors and awards, Pressler has received honorary doctorates from the University of Nebraska, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the North Carolina School of the Arts, six Grammy nominations (including one in 2006), a lifetime achievement award from Gramophone Magazine and the International Classical Music Awards , Chamber Music America’s Distinguished Service Award, the Gold Medal of Merit from the National Society of Arts and Letters. He has also been awarded the German Critics “Ehrenurkunde” award, and election into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007 Pressler was appointed as an Honorary Fellow of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in recognition of a lifetime of performance and leadership in music. In 2005 Pressler received two additional awards of international merit: the German BundesverdienstkreuzBundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
(Cross of Merit), Germany’s highest honor, and France’s highest cultural honor, the Commandeur in the Order of Arts and Letters award. In April 2011 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Classical Music Awards
International Classical Music Awards
The International Classical Music Awards are music awards first awarded April 6, 2011 which replace the Cannes Classical Awards formerly awarded at MIDEM 2010...
in Finland.
Discography
In addition to recording nearly the entire piano chamber repertoire with the Beaux Arts Trio for PhilipsPhilips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
, Menahem Pressler has compiled over thirty solo recordings, ranging from the works of Bach to Ben Haim.