Pnina Salzman facts for kids

Pnina Salzman was a famous Israeli classical pianist and a piano teacher. She was born in Tel Aviv on February 24, 1922, when the area was called Mandate Palestine. She passed away in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 16, 2006. She was known for her amazing piano playing and for teaching many students.

A Young Piano Star

Pnina Salzman showed she was very good at playing the piano from a young age. She gave her first public concert when she was only eight years old!

In 1932, a famous French pianist and teacher named Alfred Cortot heard her play. Pnina was studying at the Shulamit Conservatory at the time. Cortot was so impressed that he invited her to Paris, France, to continue her studies.

She first studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique. Later, she became a student of Magda Tagliaferro at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1938, when she was just 16, Pnina won the top piano prize there, called the Premier Prix de Piano.

Playing with the Israel Philharmonic

Pnina Salzman had a very special connection with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. This orchestra was started by the violinist Bronislaw Huberman. Pnina worked with them for her whole life.

She was the first to play some new Israeli piano concertos with the orchestra. These included Marc Lavry's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Paul Ben Haim's Capriccio Op. 60. She also performed Ben Haim's Piano Concerto, Op. 41, and other musical pieces.

Breaking Barriers in Music

Pnina Salzman was a pioneer in many ways. In 1963, she became the first Israeli musician ever invited to perform in the USSR (which is now Russia and other countries). Then, in 1994, she was the first Israeli pianist invited to play in China.

Besides playing as a solo artist, she often performed with other musicians. She was a member of the Israel Piano Quartet, for example. She also worked with clarinettist Yona Ettlinger to perform Mordecai Seter's Monodrama for the first time in 1970. She also premiered Seter's Soliloquio for solo piano in 1972.

Teaching and Judging

Pnina Salzman was a Professor at Tel Aviv University. She was also the head of the piano department there, teaching many young musicians.

She was often asked to be a judge at important piano competitions around the world. Some of these included the Arthur Rubinstein Competition, the Vladimir Horowitz Competition, the Marguerite Long Competition, and the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition.

She taught many students who later became successful pianists themselves. Some of her students included Dror Elimelech, Nimrod David Pfeffer, Elisha Abas, Inbar Rothschild, Iddo Bar-Shai, and Yossi Reshef.

Awards

In 2006, Pnina Salzman received the Israel Prize for music. This is one of the highest honors a person can get in Israel for their achievements.

See also

• List of Israel Prize recipients