Rudolf Firkušný (February 11, 1912-July 19, 1994) was a Czech pianist with an elegant style. Firkušný studied with the composers
Leoš Janáček and
Josef Suk, and the pianists Vilém Kurz, Alfred Cortot and Artur Schnabel. He began performing on the continent of Europe in the 1920s, and made his debuts in London in 1933 and New York in 1938. He escaped the Nazis, settled in New York and became a US citizen. Firkušný was one of the great concert pianists of the 20th century. He had a broad repertoire and performed with skill the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. However, he becam…
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