Rudolph Ganz

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Rudolph Ganz
Background information
Born (1877-02-24)February 24, 1877
Zürich, Switzerland
Died August 2, 1972(1972-08-02) (aged 95)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres Classical
Occupations Conductor, pedagogue, pianist
Associated acts Saint Louis Symphony, Omaha Symphony Orchestra

Rudolph Ganz (24 February 1877 – 2 August 1972) was a Swiss pianist, conductor and composer. He claimed direct descent from Charlemagne [citation needed].

Biography

Ganz was born in Zürich, Switzerland. A pupil of Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin, he became head of piano studies at the Chicago Musical College in 1901. From 1921 to 1927 he was the conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and did much to raise it to the top rank of orchestras. While in St. Louis, he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity in 1924 at the University of Missouri. From 1928 he returned to teach at the Chicago Musical College, serving as its president from 1934 to 1958. He died in Chicago. He led the Omaha Symphony Orchestra from 1936-1941. [1]

Ganz was active in the promotion of new music throughout his career. In 1923 he received the Légion d'honneur of France for his introduction of the works of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to American audiences, and in later years he performed and conducted pieces by Pierre Boulez, John Cage and Arthur Honegger. Ravel, in a letter to Ganz, thanked him for his performances of Ravel's work, and dedicated Scarbo the third part of his composition Gaspard de la Nuit to him in gratitude.

His pupils included Marion Hall (who taught for many years in the Indiana University School of Music), Abby Whiteside, Mollie Margolies, Evelyn Hora, Gena Branscombe, Joseph Bloch, Beatrice Sharp Karan,[2] Adrian Lerner Newman Goldman and Vera Bradford.[3]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.omahasymphony.org/history.asp
  2. ↑ Obituary: Beatrice Sharp Karan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 2, 2009
  3. ↑ Australian Women's History Forum

Further reading

  • Ford, Emmet (May 1977). "Rudolph Ganz". The Amica 14 (4). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-03. 
  • Ford, Emmet (September 1971). "Rudolph Ganz". Amica Bulletin 8 (9). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-03. 

External links

Saint Louis Symphony Music Directors
Authority control
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