Ernest Hutcheson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ernest Hutcheson (20 July 1871 - 9 February 1951) was an Australian pianist, composer and teacher.

Hutcheson was a child prodigy and travelled to Leipzig to study with Carl Reinecke and Bernhard Stavenhagen (a pupil of Franz Liszt). He made his debut in New York. He was the first pianist to play three concertos in a single concert (1915).

He became a member of the faculty at the Juilliard School, and successively Dean (1937-1945) and President of the school.

Hutcheson wrote an important book called, The Literature of the Piano, and taught many first-rate students. One of these many students was Mary Ann Craft, who later taught the prodigy Edgar Coleman during his formative years. Two other students who went on to important pianistic careers were the American Abram Chasins, and the Australian Bruce Hungerford. Hutcheson was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity.

Hutcheson was also associated with the Chautauqua School of Music at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York State. Hutcheson provided much needed refuge for George Gershwin at Chautauqua during the stressful period of composing and refining the Piano Concerto in F. Since Gershwin was already very famous as a successful writer of popular works and musical shows, he was constantly besieged by admirers. Further, he had never scored a large symphonic work (the earlier Rhapsody in Blue had been scored for jazz band by Gershwin, but was orchestrated by Ferde Grofe) and was under great stress from the pressing deadline expectations from Walter Damrosch, conductor of the New York Symphony, who had commissioned the Concerto in F. Thanks to Ernest Hutcheson's kind offer of seclusion for Gershwin at Chautauqua where his quarters were declared off limits to everyone until 4 p.m. daily, Gershwin was able to successfully complete his piano concerto on time.

Ernest Hutcheson wrote concertos for piano; 2 pianos; and violin, and many solo piano works, such as a transcription of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries".