Minuetta Kessler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Minuetta Kessler
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Minuetta Shumiatcher |
| Born | September 5, 1914 Gomel, Russia |
| Died | November 30, 2002 (aged 88) Belmont, Massachusetts |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, concert pianist, music teacher, author |
| Instruments | Piano |
Minuetta Kessler (born September 5, 1914, died November 30, 2002) was an amazing musician. She was a concert pianist, a classical music composer, and a teacher. She was born in Russia, grew up in Canada, and later became an American citizen.
When she was just 5 years old, Minuetta was already a "child prodigy." This means she was super talented for her age! She played her own music in a show in Calgary, Canada. Later, she studied at the famous Juilliard School in New York City.
Minuetta wrote hundreds of musical pieces. These included music for piano, violin, voice, flute, clarinet, and cello. She also wrote for small groups of musicians called chamber ensembles. She performed all over Canada, and in big cities like Boston and New York. She even played at famous places like Carnegie Hall and with the Boston Pops. The New York Times newspaper once called her "a rare phenomenon among the younger pianists of today – more musician than pianist."
Besides performing and composing, Minuetta also taught music. She especially loved teaching young children how to compose their own music. She even invented a special game called "Staftonia" to help them learn!
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Minuetta Shumiatcher was born in Gomel, Russia. Her parents, Abraham and Luba, were visiting her mother's home country when Minuetta was born. Her family soon moved back to Calgary, Canada.
Minuetta's amazing talent was clear from a very young age. When she was only 5 years old, she played her own musical piece in a piano show. People were very surprised and impressed by her performance. The next year, at age 6, she played another original song. Reviewers said her talent was "surprising."
She continued to study piano in Calgary. When she was 15, she won a full scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York City. This is a very famous music school! She learned from great teachers like Ernest Hutcheson and Ania Dorfmann. She also studied how to compose music there. Minuetta graduated from Juilliard in 1934 and even taught piano there for several years. Around 1940, she became a citizen of the United States.
Minuetta's Music Career
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Minuetta Kessler first performed in the U.S. at The Town Hall in New York City in 1945. She played more than 50 solo concerts on the radio station WNYC. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Civic Symphony and with the Boston Pops.
In 1962, she performed a special concert at the Boston Conservatory of Music. All the music played in that concert was written by her! The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also featured her performances. She recorded her own music on albums like "Music for Solo Instruments" (1978) and "Childhood Cameos" (1981). Minuetta continued to perform her music even when she was in her seventies.
Composing Hundreds of Pieces
Minuetta Kessler wrote hundreds of different musical pieces. She composed for many instruments, including piano, violin, voice, flute, clarinet, and cello. She also wrote for chamber ensembles, which are small groups of musicians.
One of her most famous pieces was the Alberta Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. She first played this piece on CBC Radio in 1947. She then performed it with orchestras all across Canada and in Boston. In 1975, she played it again with the Century Calgary Symphony Orchestra. This was a special performance to celebrate Calgary's 100th birthday!
Her Unique Playing Style
Music critics often praised Minuetta's playing. The Boston Globe newspaper said her piano technique was "formidable," meaning very impressive. The Christian Science Monitor newspaper noted her "dash and verve" and her "ear for color." This means she played with great energy and could make the music sound very expressive.
After she first played her Alberta Concerto in 1947, a newspaper called L'Événement-Journal wrote that she "plays with a power rarely attained by women pianists." Another review in 1975 said she was a "most refined pianist" and that her Alberta Concerto was a "work of great magnitude." They added that she played "with authority, feeling and sensitivity."
Teaching and Writing Music
In 1952, Minuetta moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. The next year, she and her second husband, Dr. Myer M. Kessler, moved to Belmont, Massachusetts. She lived there for the rest of her life. She even ran her own music publishing company, Music Resources, from her home.
Minuetta taught piano lessons in her home until 1998. She was especially good at teaching young children how to compose music. To help them, she invented a game called "Staftonia" in 1960. She also created a simpler way to write music notes called "Dash-a-Notes." She used this system in her music book, Piano Is My Name (1975).
She also wrote many composition books for children in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some of these books include Savory Suite (1980), Cat 'n Mouse Tails (1981), and Come to the Circus! (1984). Minuetta also gave talks and led workshops for music teachers. She wrote articles for music magazines too.
Awards and Recognitions
Minuetta Kessler received many awards and honors throughout her life.
- She won the CAPAC Prize twice, for her "New York Suite" in 1946 and "Ballet Sonatina" in 1947.
- In 1951, she was given the key to the city of Calgary.
- She was named the Alberta Outstanding Woman Composer and Musician in 1955.
- She received Composer awards from the Brookline Library Music Association in 1957 and the National Federation of Music Clubs in 1975.
- In 1979, she became an honorary member of the Boston chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, a musicians' group.
- The Music Teachers National Association gave her their first Master Teachers Certificate Diploma in 1984.
- In 1988, she won first prize in a national contest for piano pieces played with only the left hand. Her winning piece was called "Evocation: For the left hand alone."
Minuetta Kessler was also listed in many important books that recognize famous people. These included Who's Who in the East and International Encyclopedia of Women Composers.
Personal Life
In 1936, Minuetta married Ernest Borek, a scientist and professor. They had one son, Ronald Kessler, who became a journalist and author. In 1952, she married Myer M. Kessler, a physicist at MIT. They had a daughter together.
Minuetta Kessler passed away at her home in Belmont on November 30, 2002, at the age of 88. She is buried at Sharon Memorial Park.
Images for kids
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Minuetta Kessler
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Minuetta Kessler in 2000
