- Rudolph Ganz
Infobox musical artist
Name = Rudolph Ganz
Background = classical_ensemble
Born = birth date|1877|02|24
flagicon|CHEZürich ,Switzerland
Died = death date and age|1972|08|02|1877|02|24Chicago, Illinois , USA
Genre = Classical
Occupation = Conductor,pedagogue , pianist
Years_active =
Associated_acts = Saint Louis Symphony
URL =Rudolph Ganz (
24 February 1877 ,Zürich ,Switzerland –2 August 1972 ,Chicago ) was a Swisspianist , conductor andcomposer . He claimed direct descent fromCharlemagne .Biography
A pupil of
Ferruccio Busoni inBerlin , Ganz became head of piano studies at theChicago Musical College in 1901. From 1921 to 1927 he was the conductor of theSt. Louis Symphony Orchestra and did much to raise it to the top rank oforchestras . While in St. Louis, he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity in 1924 at the University of Missouri. From 1928 he returned to teach at the Chicago Musical College, serving as its president from 1934 to 1958.Ganz was active in the promotion of new music throughout his career. In 1923 he received the
Légion d'honneur ofFrance for his introduction of the works ofClaude Debussy andMaurice Ravel to American audiences, and in later years he performed and conducted pieces byPierre Boulez ,John Cage andArthur Honegger . Ravel, in a letter to Ganz thanked him for his performances of Ravel's work, and dedicated "Scarbo" the third part of his composition "Gaspard de la Nuit" to him in gratitude.His pupils included the influential
piano teacher and theoristAbby Whiteside as well as the pianist Joan Gale Krasnow.References
*cite journal | last=Ford | first=Emmet | year=1977 | month=May | title=Rudolph Ganz | journal=The Amica| volume=14 | issue=4 | url=http://www.amica.org/Live/amica_Organization/amica-Hall-of-Fame_Members/Ganz.htm | accessdate=2007-09-03
*cite journal | last=Ford | first=Emmet | month=September | year=1971 | title=Rudolph Ganz | journal=Amica Bulletin | volume=8 | issue=9 | url=http://www.amica.org/Live/amica_Organization/amica-Hall-of-Fame_Members/Ganz.htm | accessdate=2007-09-03External links
*allmusic|41:2252
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