Mark Hambourg facts for kids
Mark Hambourg (born June 1, 1879 – died August 26, 1960) was a famous concert pianist. He was born in Russia and later became a British citizen.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Mark Hambourg was the oldest son of Michael Hambourg, who was also a pianist. His father taught him music from a young age. Mark had two brothers, Boris and Jan, who were also talented musicians. Boris played the cello, and Jan played the violin. Together, they sometimes performed as the Hambourg Trio.
The Hambourg family moved to London in 1889. They left Russia because of difficult times there.
A Young Star in London
When Mark was just a boy, a famous pianist named Paderewski heard him play. Mark then made his first public performance in London in July 1890. It was a big success! He played more concerts and even toured other parts of England.
As a child, he was sometimes called Max Hambourg. He met many famous people in London, like the writer Oscar Wilde and the playwright Bernard Shaw. Shaw heard Mark play and thought he had amazing talent. He believed that with good training, Mark could become a world-famous musician.
Mark was a very popular child performer. He even made a deal with older ladies who wanted to kiss him: they could, but only if they gave him a big box of chocolates!
Studying in Vienna
With help from Paderewski, Mark went to Vienna, Austria, in 1891. He studied piano there for three years with a famous teacher named Theodor Leschetitzky. While in Vienna, Mark won a special scholarship called the Liszt Scholarship. He also made many friends among the artists in the city.
In 1895, Mark gave his first concert as an adult pianist. He played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Later, he filled in for another pianist at the last minute. He played a difficult piece by Liszt. The audience was very impressed, and even the famous composer Brahms praised him!
World Tours and Fame
After his studies, Mark Hambourg became a very busy concert pianist. In 1895, when he was only 16, he started his first world tour. He traveled to Australia and played many concerts there.
He also performed in Paris, Brussels, and Berlin. In 1898, he went to the United States for the first time, playing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in New York. He continued to tour the US.
Back in London, he performed at the famous Queen's Hall Proms concerts. Over the next few years, he toured America again and visited Poland, Russia, and Germany. In 1906, he even took his own piano on a month-long concert trip to South Africa, traveling across the Veldt to reach faraway places. He first toured Canada in 1909.
During Wartime
When World War I began, some newspapers unfairly spread rumors that Mark Hambourg was German. He had to prove that he was Russian by birth and had been a British citizen for over 20 years. He even won a lawsuit against a newspaper for spreading false information.
During the war, he almost sailed on the RMS Lusitania for his return trip from America, but luckily he did not. The ship was later sunk. Back in London, he played many concerts of old English music. He learned these pieces from old manuscripts because the printed music was not available. He also gave many classical concerts at the London Coliseum.
Later Years and Legacy
Mark Hambourg continued to be a very famous performer throughout the 1920s and 1930s. After the war, he resumed his world tours, visiting France, South Africa, and Canada. He also regularly toured different parts of Britain.
He made his first musical recordings in 1909 for HMV. You can even see him playing the piano in a 1941 movie called The Common Touch.
Mark Hambourg was married to Dorothea Muir Mackenzie, who was a violinist. They had a daughter named Michal, who also became a pianist. Mark and Michal sometimes performed piano duos together.
Mark Hambourg passed away in Cambridge, England, in 1960. He left behind a legacy as one of the great pianists of his time.
Writings
Mark Hambourg also wrote some books about music and his life:
- How to Become a Pianist (1922)
- From Piano to Forte (1931)
- The Eighth Octave (1951)
Images for kids
-
Mark Hambourg in 1923
-
Mark Hambourg caricatured by Spy for Vanity Fair, 1908
-
Mark Hambourg (center) with his brothers Boris (right) and Jan (left)
