Jakob Gimpel facts for kids
Jakob Gimpel (born April 16, 1906 – died March 12, 1989) was a talented pianist and music teacher from Poland. He was known for playing classical music in concerts around the world.
Jakob Gimpel was born in a city called Lvov, which was part of Poland at the time. Today, this city is known as Lviv in Ukraine. Music ran in his family! His younger brother, Bronislav Gimpel, became a famous violinist. His older brother, Karol Gimpel, was also a pianist and a conductor, someone who leads an orchestra.
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Becoming a Musician
Jakob Gimpel started learning piano from his father, Adolph. Later, he studied with other great teachers like Cornelia Tarnowska and Eduard Steuermann. He also learned about music theory from Alban Berg.
Jakob Gimpel played his first big concert in Vienna, Austria, in 1923. He performed with the famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, led by Pierre Monteux. He played a challenging piece called Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto.
Touring the World
Gimpel traveled a lot, playing music with other famous musicians. He toured with violinists like Bronisław Huberman, Erika Morini, Nathan Milstein, and his own brother, Bronislav Gimpel.
In 1937, Jakob Gimpel helped Bronisław Huberman start a new orchestra called the Palestine Symphony Orchestra. Today, this orchestra is known as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1938, Gimpel moved to New York City in the United States, and later he moved to Los Angeles.
Music in Movies
Jakob Gimpel's piano playing was featured in several movies. You can hear his music in films like Gaslight, Possessed, and Letter from an Unknown Woman.
He also recorded music for two classic cartoons: Rhapsody Rabbit and the Tom and Jerry cartoon Johann Mouse, which even won an award!
Film Appearances
Here are some of the movies where Jakob Gimpel's piano playing was featured:
| Year | Movie Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Gaslight | Pianist |
| 1947 | Possessed | Pianist |
| 1955 | The Big Combo | Pianist |
Later Life and Awards
After World War II, Jakob Gimpel was one of the first American artists to go back to Europe to perform. In 1954, he played hundreds of concerts in West Germany.
From 1971 to 1986, Gimpel taught music at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). He received an important award called the West German Order of Merit, First Class. In 1975, he also received the Ben-Gurion Award from the country of Israel.
On May 9, 1979, Jakob Gimpel was supposed to play a concert with his brother Bronislav in Los Angeles. Sadly, Bronislav passed away just a few days before the show. Jakob decided to play the concert by himself as a tribute to his brother.
