Artist
Abbey Simon
1,046 followers
Abbey Simon (b. 8 January 1922, New York) is an American classical pianist. Simon began lessons with David Saperton at the age of five. At the age of eight, Simon was accepted by Józef Hofmann as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster. Simon also took lessons from Leopold Godowsky[1] and Harold Bauer. Shortly after graduation, he debuted at the Town Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He was the winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1940. Simon has been hailed as a supervirtuoso and is recognized as one of the grand masters of the piano. Boston Globe critic Richard Dyer wrote, "Simon's recital offered more than a glimpse into the fabled golden age of piano playing... His virtuosity is marked not only by speed, power, lightness and accuracy but also by intricate interplay of voices and lambent colors." His recordings include the complete piano works of Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Chopin, and most of the works of Brahms and Schumann on the Vox Records label. He has toured in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. He has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra. Simon has given masterclasses at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and the Geneva Conservatory. He has served on the faculties of Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. His students include pianists Frederic Chiu, Karen Shaw, John Kamitsuka, Erika Nickrenz, Richard Dowling, Roger Wright, Andrew Cooperstock, David Korevaar, and Martha Argerich.[2] He is a long standing jury member of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the Geneva International Piano Competition, the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Sydney International Piano Competition, and the South Africa International Piano Competition. Simon currently lives in Geneva, Switzerland, and Houston, Texas where he is currently Distinguished Cullen Professor of Piano at the Moores School of Music. Abbey Simon is a Yamaha Artist. Awards and honors: Walter Naumburg Prize, (1940) National Orchestral Award Federation of Music Prize Harriet Cohen Medal Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal Ford Foundation Award Distinguished Teacher Award at the Moores School of Music . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Popular
Fantaisie-impromptu No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Waltzes, Op. 34: No. 1 in A-Flat Major "Valse brilliante"
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Waltzes, Op. 34: No. 2 in A Minor
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Waltzes, Op. 34: No. 3 in F Major
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35: I. Grave - Doppio movimento
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35: II. Scherzo
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35: III. Marche funebre
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35: IV. Finale - Presto
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Waltz No. 5 in A-Flat Major, Op. 42 "Grand valse"
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Waltz No. 1 in E-Flat Major, Op. 18
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
Piano Concerto No.3 in D Minor, Op. 30: I. Allegro ma non tanto
Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, Op. 18; Piano Concerto No.3 in D Minor, Op. 30
Albums
Virtuoso Piano Music
2025
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, Fantasy on Polish Airs & Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante (Remastered 2024)
2024
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 (2023 Remaster)
2023
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (2023 Remaster)
2023
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 & Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (2023 Remastered Version)
2023
Blue Edition - Debussy & Ravel: Prélude à l'après-Midi d'un faune & Le roi Lear, L. 107
2016
Blue Edition - Ravel & Debussy: Concerto pour la main gauche & La boîte à Joujoux
2016
Red Edition - Ravel & Debussy: Concerto pour la main gauche, M. 82 & Fantaisie for Piano & Orchestra
2016
Brahms: Variations pour piano sur un thème de Paganini, Op. 35 & Variations et fugue pour piano sur un thème de Handel, Op. 24 (Mono Version)
2015
Classical Selection - Ravel, Bizet: Carmen Suites Nos. 1 & 2
2015
Grieg: Concerto pour piano, Op. 16 (Mono Version)
2015
Grieg: Concerto pour piano, Op. 16 (Mono Version)
2015
Chopin: The Perfect Playlist
2014
Classical Music for Yoga and Relaxation
2014
Frédéric Chopin: Etudes, Nocturnes & Waltzes Performed by Abbey Simon
2014
Perfect Chopin
2014
Grieg : Concerto pour piano et orchestre en la mineur, Op. 16
2011
Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Ravel: The Piano Concertos
2010
Paganini Variations, Vol. 2
2003
Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3 & Other Piano Works
2001
Chopin: Scherzos Nos. 1-4, Ballades Nos. 1-4 & Berceuse in D-Flat Major
2001
Chopin: Sonatas, Scherzos, Ballades, Impromptus, Berceuse & Barcarolle
2001
Chopin Piano Concertos No. 1 And 2
2000
Grieg: Concerto in A Minor / Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
2000
Ravel: Complete Music for Solo Piano
2000
Chopin: Complete Études & Waltzes
1996
Chopin: Complete Nocturnes
1995
Chopin: Nocturnes, Vol. 1
1995
Chopin: Nocturnes, Vol. 2
1995
Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9 & Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17
1995
Mozart: Piano Quintet, K. 452 - Beethoven: Piano Quintet, Op. 16 - Haydn: Keyboard Trio No. 17, Hob. XV:17
1992
Chopin: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra
1990
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4 & Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
1990
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 & Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (Remastered 2023)
1978
Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 & 25
1977
Chopin: 19 Waltzes
1975
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83 & Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, M. 82
1975
Ravel: Piano Music, Vol. 1
1974
Ravel: Piano Music, Vol. 2
1974
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, Rondo à la Krakowiak & Variations on "Là ci darem la mano" (Remastered 2024)
1973
Schumann: Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 & Carnaval, Op. 9
1971
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