Gilbert Kalish facts for kids
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Gilbert Kalish (born July 2, 1935) is a famous American pianist. He is known for playing both classical music and new, modern pieces. He has worked with many other musicians and taught music for a long time.
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Gilbert Kalish: Early Life and Musical Start
Gilbert Kalish was born in New York in 1935. He learned to play the piano from great teachers like Leonard Shure and Isabelle Vengerova.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he helped start a group called the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. This group was important because it played a lot of new music. From 1969 to 1998, he was also a pianist for the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
Working with Other Musicians
Gilbert Kalish is well-known for playing music with other artists. He worked with mezzo-soprano Jan DeGaetani for thirty years! He also played with cellists Timothy Eddy and Joel Krosnick, and soprano Dawn Upshaw. These partnerships helped create many beautiful musical performances.
Teaching and Inspiring Students
Besides performing, Kalish is also a dedicated teacher. He is a leading professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
For almost 30 years (from 1968 to 1997), he taught at the Tanglewood Music Center. He even became the "Chairman of the Faculty" there. He has also taught at other famous music schools, like the Banff Centre. Many young musicians have learned a lot from his master classes.
Recordings and New Music
Gilbert Kalish has made many recordings. These include classic pieces and important works from the 20th century. He recorded Charles Ives' famous Concord Sonata and sonatas by Joseph Haydn. He also recorded vocal music with Jan DeGaetani.
He was the first to record many pieces by composers like Elliott Carter, George Crumb, and Arnold Schoenberg. He even made the very first recordings of several pieces by Charles Ives, including Largo for Violin and Piano. In 1979, he played on a jazz symphony called Mother______! Mother______!! with jazz legends Clark Terry and Zoot Sims.
Awards and Recognition
Gilbert Kalish has performed many pieces for the first time. Composers have even written music just for him! He was the first to give a solo piano concert in the newly updated Miller Theatre at Columbia University.
He has received many awards, including three nominations for a Grammy Award. In 1995, he received the Paul Fromm Award from the University of Chicago. This award recognized his important contributions to modern music.
