Background
Firkusny, Rudolf was born on February 11, 1912 in Napajedla, Czechoslovakia. Came to the United States, 1940. Son of Rudolf and Karla (Sindelarová) Firkusny.
Firkusny, Rudolf was born on February 11, 1912 in Napajedla, Czechoslovakia. Came to the United States, 1940. Son of Rudolf and Karla (Sindelarová) Firkusny.
Student college, Conservatory of Music, Brno, Praha, 1930. Master of Arts, Academy Music, Prague, 1929. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Charles University, Prague, 1990.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Masaryk University, Brno, 1991. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Bard College, 1993. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), Janácek Academy Performing Arts, Brno, Czech Republic, 1993.
Firkušný began performing on the continent of Europe in the 1920s, and made his debuts in London in 1933 and New York in 1938.
He had a broad repertoire and performed with skill the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms as well as Mussorgsky and Debussy. However, he became known especially for his performances of the Czech composers Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Janáček, and Bohuslav Martinů.
Firkušný taught at the Juilliard School in New York, and in Aspen, Colorado as well as in the Berkshire Music Centre in Tanglewood. After the fall of the communist regime in his homeland (the "Velvet Revolution" of 1989), Firkušný returned to Czechoslovakia to perform for the first time after more than 40 years of absence. This was acclaimed as one of the major events of his festival, along with the return of his compatriot and friend the conductor Rafael Kubelík. Firkušný retained his remarkable talents well into his later years and, for example, played a full Dvořák-Janáček-Brahms-Beethoven sonata recital in Prague on 18 May 1992 together with the violinist Josef Suk (the namesake and grandson of his teacher, and great-grandson of Dvořák). He played only two times at the Prague Spring International Music Festival, first in 1946 performed Dvořák's piano concerto, and in 1990 he played the second piano concerto of Martinů.
Tours of Europe: 1930-1939, S. America since 1943, annual tours of Europe and United States of America since 1943, tours of Australia, New Zealand 1959, 1967, Japan 1978, 19&3, 1985, 1987, 1989 Member piano faculty Juilliard School, New York City, 1964-1994.
First appeared with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, 1922. Appeared with symphony orchestras including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cleveland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal. Played in recitals in all sections United States, also South America tours, 1943-1994, annual tours in Europe, 30-39, 1950-1994, tours of Australia and Far East, 1959, 67, Japan, 1978, 83, 85, 87, 89, 92.Composer piano concerto in Prague, Czechoslovakia, piano pieces, songs.
Member of Century (New York City), Bohemians.
Married Tatiana Nevole, June 9, 1965. Children: Véronique, Igor.