Hirt, Franz Josef

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Hirt, Franz Josef

Hirt, Franz Josef, Swiss pianist and teacher; b. Lucerne, Feb. 7, 1899; d. Bern, May 20, 1985. He studied with Hans Huber and Ernst Levy at the Basel Cons., and later took lessons with Petri and Cortot. In 1919 he became a teacher at the Bern Cons., and also gave numerous piano recitals in Europe. He publ. Meisterwerke des Klavierbaues (1955; Eng. tr., 1968, as Stringed Keyboard Instruments, 1440-1880).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire