Jakob Gimpel

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Jakob Gimpel (b. April 16, 1906, Lvov, Poland - d. March 12, 1989, Los Angeles, California) was a Polish concert pianist and educator. Gimpel was born in Lvov, Austria-Hungary, part of Polish Galicia, (now Lviv, Ukraine). Jakob Gimpel's younger brother, Bronislav Gimpel, was a noted concert violinist, and his older brother, Karol Gimpel, was a pianist and conductor.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Performing Career

Gimpel began his piano studies with his father, Adolph, and later studied piano with Cornelia Tarnowska and Eduard Steuermann, and music theory with Alban Berg. Gimpel made his debut in Vienna, Austria, in 1923, with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Monteux. He played Rachmaninoff´s 2nd Piano Concerto.[3]

Gimpel toured with violinists Bronislaw Huberman, Erica Morini, Nathan Milstein, and his brother, Bronislav Gimpel.[4] In 1937, Gimpel helped Huberman to found the Palestine Symphony, now the Israel Philharmonic. Gimpel immigrated to New York in 1938 and later moved to Los Angeles, California.

[edit] Film Credits

Among Gimpel's film credits are recorded appearances in Gaslight, Possessed, Letter from an Unknown Woman, Strange Fascination, Three Stories of Love, and Mephisto Waltz. Gimpel also recorded music for two classic cartoons: Rhapsody Rabbit and the Academy-Award-winning Tom and Jerry short, Johann Mouse.[5]

[edit] Later Years and Honors

Gimpel was one of the first European-American artists to return to Europe after World War II; he played hundreds of concerts in West Germany in 1954. From 1971 to 1986, Gimpel was professor in residence at California State University at Northridge (CSUN).[6] Gimpel was awarded the West German Order of Merit, First Class, and, in 1975, the Ben-Gurion Award from the State of Israel.[7]

On May 9, 1979, Gimpel was scheduled to give a joint recital with his brother, Bronislav Gimpel, in Los Angeles. Bronislav died unexpectedly several days before the performance and Jakob Gimpel played a solo recital in memory of his brother.[8]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ New York Times, obituary, "Jakob Gimpel, a Concert Pianist, Dies at 82," March 15, 1989
  2. ^ "Jakob Gimpel: A Biographical Essay," by Peter Gimpel, 2004, Jakob & Bronislaw Gimpel Archives
  3. ^ "Jakob Gimpel: A Biographical Essay," by Peter Gimpel, 2004, Jakob & Bronislaw Gimpel Archives
  4. ^ "Jakob Gimpel: A Biographical Essay," by Peter Gimpel, 2004, Jakob & Bronislaw Gimpel Archives
  5. ^ "Jakob Gimpel: A Biographical Essay," by Peter Gimpel, 2004, Jakob & Bronislaw Gimpel Archives
  6. ^ "Jakob Gimpel: A Biographical Essay," by Peter Gimpel, 2004, Jakob & Bronislaw Gimpel Archives
  7. ^ New York Times, obituary, "Jakob Gimpel, a Concert Pianist, Dies at 82," March 15, 1989
  8. ^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Seventh Edition, Revised by Nicolas Slonimsky, Schimer Books, New York, 1984

[edit] External Links

http://www.gimpelmusicarchives.com/