Claude Frank facts for kids

Claude Frank (born Claus Johannes Frank; December 24, 1925 – December 27, 2014) was a German-born American pianist. He was known for his amazing piano skills and his long career in music.

A Life in Music

Claude Frank was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1925. His family was Jewish. When he was young, his father moved to Brussels because of the difficult political situation in Germany. Later, when Claude was 12, his family settled in Paris, France.

Claude started studying music at the Paris Conservatoire. But in 1940, he and his mother had to leave France for their safety. They traveled through the Pyrenees mountains and Lisbon, Portugal, before finally reaching the USA.

In the USA, Claude continued his music studies. He learned from famous teachers like Artur Schnabel in New York and Maria Curcio. He also studied how to write music (composition) and how to lead an orchestra (conducting) at Columbia University. At Tanglewood, a famous music center, he studied with Serge Koussevitzky. Claude became an American citizen in 1944. He also served in the US military, which paused his piano studies for a while.

Teaching and Performing

Claude Frank was a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. He taught music at the Curtis Institute of Music. He also gave special classes, called master classes, at many universities. These included Yale University, Duke University, the University of Kansas, and the North Carolina School of the Arts. In 1973, he joined the piano teaching staff at the Yale School of Music.

Claude Frank wrote a book about his life called The Music That Saved My Life: From Hitler's Germany to the World's Concert Stages. In 2008, he performed in China as part of the cultural events for the Beijing Olympics. He played alongside nine other well-known pianists at an event called "The Olympic Centenary Piano Extravaganza of China."

Family and Recordings

Claude Frank often performed concerts with his wife, Lilian Kallir (1931–2004), who was also a pianist. They met in 1947 at Tanglewood and got married in 1959. They stayed married until Lilian passed away.

They had a daughter named Pamela Frank (born 1967), who is a talented violinist. Claude also performed with Pamela. Together, they recorded all of Beethoven's sonatas for violin and piano.

Claude Frank made other recordings too. In 1970, he recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas for RCA Records. This was released during the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. At the same time, he performed all of Beethoven's sonatas in a series of live concerts.

Claude Frank passed away on December 27, 2014, just three days after his 89th birthday.