Claude Frank

American Jewish pianist Claude Frank was born at Nuremburg in Germany on 24 December 1925 and studied at the Paris Conservatoire. Leaving Europe during the Second World War, he reached the USA in 1941. He subsequently met and worked with Artur Schnabel in New York, and took lessons from Schnabel pupil Maria Curcio. He also studied composition and conducting at Columbia University, and at Tanglewood with Serge Koussevitzky.

He's known specially for his RCA recording of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas, and for performing them widely.

In addition to worldwide performances accompanied by quality orchestras, Frank also gave joint concerts with his wife Lilian Kallir, also a pianist, and with his violinist daughter Pamela Frank.

He taught at the Curtis Institute, Yale, Duke University, the University of Kansas and the North Carolina School of Arts, and was Richard Goode's teacher.

Claude Frank died on 27 December 2014, aged eighty-nine.

A selection of articles about Claude Frank

Ensemble. An Eclectic Mix - Lawrence Budmen visits the 2008 Sarasota Music Festival