Violin student wins international piano competition

David K. Nelson says:

I know a number of splendid string players who are also excellent (although perhaps not solo concert level) pianists.

The great virtuoso Harold Bauer was said to be equally adept at both the violin and the piano, although he recorded only on the piano to my knowledge. Rostropovich was said to rattle off some of the most difficult passages in Rachmaninoff #3 during master classes, perhaps to keep everyone humble. Awadagin Pratt got conservatory degrees in both violin and piano (plus conducting), but it is true I am not aware of any public performances on violin. Heifetz was said to amaze concert pianists with the difficult passages of the piano solo repertoire he could play at a moment’s notice. Kreisler was also said to play the piano at concert pianist levels. A member of the Milwaukee Symphony’s cello section, whose name I regret to say I forget, used to play the Rachmaninoff Concerto #1 with that orchestra on tour. Arthur Grumiaux recorded some sonatas (overdubbed of course) playing both violin and piano parts; there was also a recording years ago by an artist whose name I forget who recorded an overdubbed version of the Brahms Horn Trio (!) playing all three parts. Veteran record collectors might recall the Philarte Quartet, all members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, whose violinist Davyd Booth also played piano, effectively increasing their repertoire to include not just string quartets but piano quartets. Booth studied violin under Jascha Brodsky and piano with Susan Starr — those are good credentials. I believe he is still active.

Wasn’t Paul Himdemith able to play the solo parts of all his “Kammermusik” concertos -violin, viola, viola d’amore, piano, cello, and organ? I seem to recall reading that.

And of course, there was one W.A. Mozart …