Konrad Wolff
Encyclopedia
Konrad Wolff was a German pianist and musicologist.
He was born in Berlin
, Germany
, on March 11, 1907. From 1925 to 1930, he studied at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Berlin. He received his Doctor of Law degree at the University of Berlin, and forged lifelong friendships with classmates Stephan Kuttner
and Hsu Dau-lin
. He studied piano under Josef Lomba, who had been a student of Franz Liszt
, as well as under Bruno Elsner, and the Austrian pianist Artur Schnabel
. In France, he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris (1934–1935), and met and married the photographer Ilse Bing
. Together they moved to the United States in 1941. Although he performed as a concert pianist and in chamber music groups, he devoted himself to teaching and research. He was a faculty member at Westchester Conservatory (1949–54), Drew University, NJ (1952–62), and Peabody Conservatory (1963–74), as well as teaching at Smith College and Montclair State University (NJ). In 1972, his major work on Artur Schnabel was published, "Schnabel's Interpretation of Piano Music." In 1983, he published his second book, "Masters of the Keyboard." He died in Cologne, Germany, where he had travelled to lecture and perform, on October 23, 1989.
He was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, on March 11, 1907. From 1925 to 1930, he studied at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Berlin. He received his Doctor of Law degree at the University of Berlin, and forged lifelong friendships with classmates Stephan Kuttner
Stephan Kuttner
Stephan George Kuttner , an expert in Canon Law, was recognized as a leader in the discovery, interpretation and analysis of important texts and manuscripts that are key to understanding the evolution of legal systems from Roman law to modern constitutional law.-Biography:Born in Bonn, Germany,...
and Hsu Dau-lin
Hsu Dau-lin
Hsu Dau-lin was a distinguished legal scholar who made substantial contributions to the study of Tang and Song Law and, especially for new republican states, of Constitutional Law...
. He studied piano under Josef Lomba, who had been a student of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, as well as under Bruno Elsner, and the Austrian pianist Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel was an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura...
. In France, he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris (1934–1935), and met and married the photographer Ilse Bing
Ilse Bing
Ilse Bing was a German avant-garde and commercial photographer who produced pioneering monochrome images during the inter-war era....
. Together they moved to the United States in 1941. Although he performed as a concert pianist and in chamber music groups, he devoted himself to teaching and research. He was a faculty member at Westchester Conservatory (1949–54), Drew University, NJ (1952–62), and Peabody Conservatory (1963–74), as well as teaching at Smith College and Montclair State University (NJ). In 1972, his major work on Artur Schnabel was published, "Schnabel's Interpretation of Piano Music." In 1983, he published his second book, "Masters of the Keyboard." He died in Cologne, Germany, where he had travelled to lecture and perform, on October 23, 1989.