Levitzki, Mischa
Levitzki, Mischa
Levitzki, Mischa, outstanding American pianist; b. Kremenchug (of naturalized Russian-born American parents), May 25, 1898; d. Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J., Jan. 2, 1941. He began his studies with Michalowski in Warsaw at the age of 7, at which time his parents returned to their adopted country and he continued his training at the Inst. of Musical Art in N.Y. with Stojowski (1906–11). In 1911 he went to Germany, where he studied with Dohnânyi at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and won the Mendelssohn Prize. Following tours of Germany (1914–15) and Europe (1915–16), he returned to the U.S. and made his N.Y. recital debut on Oct. 17, 1916; subsequently made numerous tours in the U.S. and in the Orient. Levitzki acquired a remarkable reputation as one of the leading keyboard virtuosos of his day. He wrote a number of attractive piano pieces, a Piano Concerto, and a cadenza for Beethoven’s 3rd PianoCon-certo.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire