author
Josef Hofmann
1876–1957
A child prodigy who grew into one of the great pianists of his era, he was admired for dazzling technique, poetic control, and a rare sense of color at the keyboard. His career also reached beyond the concert hall, shaping American musical life as a teacher and director at the Curtis Institute of Music.
1 Audiobook
Piano Playing, with Piano Questions Answered
by Josef Hofmann
About the author
Born in 1876 in what is now Poland, Josef Hofmann became famous astonishingly young and was soon recognized internationally as a piano prodigy. He studied with Anton Rubinstein, a connection that helped place him in the great Romantic piano tradition, and he went on to build a career as one of the most celebrated virtuosos of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Listeners praised Hofmann not just for speed and brilliance, but for elegance, imagination, and an unusually refined touch. He toured widely, made important early recordings, and became especially influential in the United States, where his performances helped define standards of pianism for a generation.
Later in life, he served as director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, extending his impact from the stage to musical education. He died in 1957, but he remains a fascinating figure for listeners interested in the golden age of piano playing.