Hoffman, Richard

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Hoffman, Richard

Hoffman, Richard, English pianist and composer; b. Manchester, May 24, 1831; d. Mt. Kisco, N.Y, Aug. 17, 1909. He studied with his father and with L. de Meyer, Moscheles, and A. Rubinstein. In 1847 he settled in N.Y, where he made his debut on Nov. 27 in Mendelssohn’s 1st Piano Concerto and Hummel’s Septet. He toured the U.S. with Jenny Lind (1850–52), made many appearances as a soloist with the N.Y. Phil., and performed frequently in duo-concerts with Gottschalk. Hoffman composed some 100 piano pieces, many songs, and some anthems and services. He wrote Some Musical Recollections of Fifty Years (N.Y, 1910; includes a biographical sketch by his widow).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire