Ozan Marsh

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Ozan Marsh (June 25, 1920 in Pasadena, California - March 15, 1992) was a pianist active in concert performances throughout the world as well as across the United States.

A disciple of Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Petri, Casadesus and von Sauer, the late Ozan Marsh has received the plaudits of audiences and critics around the world, particularly for his performances of Liszt and Chopin. For more than five decades Ozan Marsh has won critical acclaim in recital appearances and as soloist with the world’s most distinguished orchestras. Among these are the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the [[Royal PhilharmonicRoyal Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestras, to name a few.

Before the second world war he studied in Europe at Fountainbleau with Robert and Gaby Casadesus, Isidore Phillipp and other noted figures of this musical period. He traveled to Vienna and worked with Emile Von Sauer (one of the last surviving pupils of Franz Liszt) and continued study with Egon Petri during summer sessions in Zakopane Poland. Marsh gave his Paris and Warsaw debut (Warsaw Conservatory) in 1938 only months before the outbreak of the war. His first Town Hall New York debut was in 1939 and received fine praise from the New York Times. During WWII he served in the Navy's "Lighter than Air" dirigible squadron as well as a final post as chaplains assistant because of a disability caused by the war.

During his career he played over 200 concert appearances with the Boston Pops Orchestra (in Boston and on nationwide concert tours), Appeared a number of times with the New York Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as well as gave literally hundreds of solo concerts throughout the United States under Columbia Artists Management, on their Community Concerts Series. During his life he had the opportunity to tour Russia (former Soviet Union 1980)at the invitation of the Soviet Government and at the invitation of one of that nations foremost senior composers Dimitri Kabalevsky. He toured South Korea three time and China PRC twice playing solo concerts as well as appearing with orchestra with the Beijing (China) Opera Orchestra.

Ozan Marsh coupled an outstanding performing career with an equally distinguished academic one. "As a teacher he was tireless- the activity was as much a passionate necessity for him as practicing or performing. With Ozan Marsh teaching was a vast workshop of ideas.^{[citation needed]}

Ozan Marsh was characteristic of the finest of his kind. An artist of restless energy, attracted to the piano as though by a magnet. He was a tireless craftsman , constantly mixing, blending, and researching the qualities of sound with and acute inner ear. Marsh possessed a huge repertory augmented by research. He stemmed from the grand manner of the keyboard, when the pianist was the heroic personage. Ozan Marsh played in a monumental style graced by elegant virtuosity with refinement and subtle coloring that was uniquely his own.

He served on the faculties of such major institutions as Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, Butler University, St. Lawrence University, University of Arizona and the Chautauqua Institution. He participated in judging various international piano competitions including the Van Cliburn, the Franz Liszt, the National Federation of Music Clubs and many others. Some of his students include Donna Amato, Edgar Coleman, and David Syme among others. He was also the President of the Pianist’s Foundation of America, (formerly the Southwest Pianists Foundation) an organization devoted to furthering of the careers of promising young pianists. He gave a great deal of his time to the much needed project of furthering the goals of those pianists, many whom have gone on to wonderful careers themselves.

Ozan Marsh has recorded for RCA (His Masters Voice), CBS (Columbia), PFA and VLR Records, the Voice of America and the Boston Symphony Transcription Library.

His discography includes: Hungarian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra RCA (His Masters Voice)Victrola, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra 1959 Re-Released several times on RCA "Nothing but the Beer","Three Concert Gems" CD and others. Dimitry Kabalevsky Concerto #2 for Piano and Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic of London, CSP Columbia Records,Collectors Edition Dimitry Kabalevsky Preludes and Rondo, CSP Columbia Records, Collectors Edition Liszt Piano Concerto #1 in Eflat, Spanish Rapsody (Busoni), Totentanz (Solo Piano) London Philharmonic Orchestra, Released on VOX Cum Lauda, Allegro Records and Concert Artists Records (UK) Other Recordings VLR: Liszt B Minor Sonata, 12 Hungarian Rhapsody "A Century of Treasure" All Liszt Recording (SPF Records) Chopin 2nd Piano Sonata and Mazurkas Live Recordings- Rachmaninoff Concerto #1 (1960) Rachmaninoff Concerto #2 (Un-Released) Kabalevsky Concerto #2 (1960) Liszt B Minor Sonata (1983) Rachmaninoff 2nd Sonata (1983) Scriabin 7th Sonata (1983) Kabalevsky Piano Concerto #2 Moscow Symphony (1980)