Irene Scharrer

Irene Scharrer (February 2, 1888, London, England – January 11, 1971, London, England) was an English classical pianist. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music with the famous teacher, Tobias Matthay [ "Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians", Seventh Edition, Revised by Nicolas Slonimsky, Schirmer Books, New York, 1984] .

Scharrer made her London debut at the age of 16, and gave concerts regularly until June 1958, where she appeared for the last time, playing Mozart's sonata for two pianos with Myra Hess. Her technique was one of refinement rather than power. Her surviving recordings show her at her best in the smaller pieces of the romantic repertoire, where her impeccable control, fine tone and lack of showiness serve the music well.

Scharrer is sometimes erroneously described as a cousin of the pianist Myra Hess. She is related, rather distantly, to another fine woman pianist, Harriet Cohen. The two had the same great-great-grandfather).

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