Bonaventura, Anthony di, American pianist

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Bonaventura, Anthony di, American pianist

Bonaventura, Anthony di, American pianist and teacher, brother of Mario di Bonaventura; b. Fol-lansbee, W.Va., Nov. 12, 1930. A precocious talent, he made his debut at age 13 as soloist in the Beethoven Third Piano Concerto with the N.Y. Phil. At age 18, he became a pupil of Vengerova at the Curtis Inst. of Music in Philadelphia, graduating at 24. He then launched an ambitious career as a soloist with American and European orchs.; also played numerous recitals. He commissioned several composers of the avant-garde to write special works for him, among them Berio, Kelemen, and Ligeti. In 1973 he was appointed to the piano faculty of Boston Univ.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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Bonaventura, Anthony di, American pianist

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