Elisabeth Klein facts for kids

Elisabeth Klein (born July 23, 1911 – died October 11, 2004) was a talented Hungarian-Danish pianist. She was known for her amazing piano skills and her love for new, modern music.

Her Early Life and Education

Elisabeth Klein was born in a place called Trencsén, which is now in Slovakia. When she was three years old, her family moved to Budapest, Hungary, where she grew up. From a very young age, it was clear that she had a special gift for playing the piano.

She studied music at the famous Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. After she finished her studies there, she had the amazing chance to learn privately from a very famous composer named Béla Bartók. She studied with him from 1934 to 1936.

Life in Denmark and Family

When World War II began, Elisabeth Klein was in Denmark. She decided to stay there, living in Copenhagen for most of her life.

On December 21, 1941, she married Jørgen Petersen. He was an officer in the Royal Danish Navy. Their first son, Ole Holger Petersen, was born in 1943. After the war ended, their second son, Nils Holger Petersen, was born in 1946.

Her husband, Jørgen, was a naval officer, and his work sometimes took the family to different places. They lived for some years in Oslo, Norway, and in Kiel, Germany, because of his work with NATO. NATO is a group of countries that work together for peace and safety.

A Career in Music

Elisabeth Klein worked for many years in important music institutions. She was involved with the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen and taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. She also taught at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

In the 1960s, Elisabeth became very interested in Contemporary music, which is music written in recent times. She became a true champion of this kind of music, especially piano music from Scandinavian countries. She was a specialist in performing these new pieces.

She also cared a lot about music by women composers from around the world. Elisabeth performed and recorded music in many countries, including Scandinavia, other parts of Europe, the U.S., Israel, China, and Mexico. Her recordings include works by famous composers like Béla Bartók, Alban Berg, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, as well as many modern Scandinavian composers. Many composers even wrote piano pieces especially for her!

In 1980, after her husband retired from the navy, they moved to Oslo, Norway. Elisabeth Klein continued to teach at the Norwegian Academy of Music until she was 70 years old. She spent her last years in Liverpool, UK, where she was still actively performing and teaching piano.

Awards and Recognition

Elisabeth Klein received several important awards for her contributions to music:

• In 1966, she was given the Music Prize of Danish Radio.
• In 1976, she was made an honorary artist by the Norwegian Composers Association.
• In 1992, she became an honorary member of Women in Music, an organization that supports women in the music industry.