Kamensky, Alexander

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Kamensky, Alexander

Kamensky, Alexander, Russian pianist and teacher; b. Geneva (of Russian parents), Dec. 12, 1900; d. Leningrad, Nov. 7, 1952. He studied piano at the Petrograd Cons, (graduated, 1923), then developed an energetic career as a concert pianist. He did not interrupt his activities even during the siege of Leningrad in 1941-Λ2, when he played almost 500 recitals under the most dangerous conditions. In 1934 he was appointed prof, of piano of the Leningrad Cons. In his programs, he featured many works by Soviet composers and also by modern Western music masters, including Schoenberg and Stravinsky

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire