Alfred Brendel (Photo: Benjamin Ealovega)
Czech-born Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel has died, aged 94.
The prolific pianist, writer, and composer leaves behind a profound recording catalog and legacy with hundreds of albums released between the 1950s and the 2000s. He was especially lauded for his interpretations of Mozart, Liszt, Brahms, Haydn, and Schubert. But he also championed works by Busoni and recently contributed an essay about the pianist and composer to a reissue of one of his early recordings.
Among his many accolades, Brendel received a KBE, the Berlin Philharmonic’s Hans von Bülow Medal, and the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize. He is the recipient of honorary degrees from Oxford, Yale, Cambridge, Juilliard, and the New England Conservatory.
Brendel retired from the stage in 2008. His son, Adrian, is an accomplished cellist, and his daughter, Doris, is a rock musician.
Following the announcement of his death, tributes have begun pouring in on social media. British pianist Paul Lewis, a mentee and collaborator of Brendel’s posted that “his passing is an enormous loss not only for music, but also on a personal level for those of us who were fortunate enough to be guided and touched by his wisdom and insight…”
