Abbey Simon*

Biography

Abbey Simon has been hailed as a super-virtuoso whose appearances in the concert halls of the world are eagerly anticipated not only by music lovers, but by professional musicians who come to hear him spin his own particular magic. He is recognized as one of the grand masters of the piano.

Upon graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he made his official debut in New York’s Town Hall as the winner of the prestigious Naumburg Award. Following this success he performed at Carnegie Hall a number of times before his debut tour to Europe.

After a recent Boston concert, The Globe critic Richard Dyer wrote: “Simon’s recital offered more than a glimpse into the fabled golden age of piano playing…His virtuosity is marked not only by speed, power, lightness and accuracy but also by intricate interplay of voices and lambent colors.” While critic Scott MacClelland reported from the west coast that “when they’ve written the final chapter on great pianists of the 20th century, the name Abbey Simon will be included. Indeed, that name might well mark the first chapter on 21st century pianists as well.”

Through the years, critics have hailed Mr. Simon’s mastery and noted that his playing has its roots in the great pianists of the past. Improvising at the piano at the age of 3, he had natural perfect pitch and started taking lessons at the age of 5. After studying with David Saperton, the son-in-law of the celebrated pianist Leopold Godowsky, Saperton took him to play for the great pianist Josef Hoffmann. At the age of 8, Hoffmann accepted him as his scholarship student at the Curtis Institute where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster.

Mr. Simon’s albums for Philips, EMI, HMV and Vox make him one of the most recorded classical artists of all time. He has recorded all the concerti of Rachmaninoff, the complete works of Ravel, and Schumann’s Carnaval and Fantasy. Ha Piano Virtuoso features transcriptions by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Godowsky, and Chasins. His Chopin collection encompasses some 20 discs.