György Sándor facts for kids
György Sándor (Sándor György in Hungarian name order; born September 21, 1912 – died December 9, 2005) was a famous Hungarian pianist and writer. He was known for his amazing piano skills and for teaching many talented musicians.
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Early Life and Studies
György Sándor was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied music at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. His teachers were two very important Hungarian composers: Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály. Sándor started performing in public in 1930. Throughout the 1930s, he traveled a lot as a concert pianist. He made his first appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1939. Later, he became an American citizen. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944.
Friendship with a Famous Composer
Sándor was a close friend of his former teacher, Béla Bartók, for many years. He was one of only ten people who attended Bartók's funeral in 1945. This shows how special their friendship was.
Sándor had the honor of performing the very first public performance of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3. This happened on February 8, 1946, with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The orchestra was led by Eugene Ormandy. They performed it again in New York City and even recorded it.
A Life on Stage
After World War II, György Sándor returned to playing concerts. People described his piano technique as "Lisztian," meaning it was powerful and brilliant, like the famous pianist Franz Liszt. He could play many different types of music. Later in his career, people especially wanted to hear him play Bartók's music.
He recorded many piano pieces by composers like Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin. For his recordings of all of Béla Bartók's piano music, he won a special award called the Grand Prix du Disque in 1965.
Sharing His Knowledge
György Sándor was also a dedicated teacher. He taught at several universities, including Southern Methodist University and the University of Michigan. From 1982, he taught at the famous Juilliard School in New York City. He continued to teach and perform even when he was in his nineties!
Many of his students became successful musicians. Some of his notable pupils include Hélène Grimaud, György Sebők, and Barbara Nissman.
Writing About Music
Sándor wrote a very important book called "On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, Expression." This book explains how to play the piano in a clear and logical way. He talked about using gravity to help play the piano, which is a constant source of energy. The book also helps pianists with memorizing music and corrects common misunderstandings about piano playing.
He also worked on publishing music by other composers. For example, he made a very difficult arrangement of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas. He also helped edit and publish Bartók's own piano arrangement of the Concerto for Orchestra.
His Legacy
György Sándor passed away in New York City on December 9, 2005, at the age of 93. He left behind a great legacy as a brilliant pianist, a respected teacher, and an insightful writer about music.
Media
- György Sándor plays Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, transcription for piano
- György Sándor plays Bach-Liszt Fantasy & Fugue in G minor
See also
In Spanish: György Sándor para niños
