Peter Serkin
Peter Adolf Serkin (July 24, 1947 – February 1, 2020) was an American classical pianist. He won the Grammy Award for Most Promising New Classical Recording Artist in 1966, and he performed globally, known for not only "technically pristine" playing but also a "commitment to contemporary music".[1] He taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, Yale University, and Bard College.
Peter Serkin
July 24, 1947
February 1, 2020 (aged 72)
- Classical pianist
- Academic teacher
- Wendy Spinner (divorced 1979)
- Regina Touhey (divorced 2018)
5
- Rudolf Serkin (father)
- Irene Busch Serkin (mother)
Early life[edit]
Serkin was born on July 24, 1947, in Manhattan.[1] He was the son of Irene Busch Serkin and pianist Rudolf Serkin, grandson of the influential violinist Adolf Busch,[1] and great-nephew of conductor Fritz Busch. Peter was given the middle name Adolf in honor of his grandfather.[1][2] He spent much of his childhood on his parents' farm in Guilford, Vermont.[1]
In 1958, at age 11, Serkin began studying at the Curtis Institute of Music,[1][3] where his teachers included the Polish pianist Mieczysław Horszowski, the American virtuoso Lee Luvisi, as well as his own father. He graduated in 1964 at age 16.[4] He also studied with Ernst Oster, flutist Marcel Moyse, and Karl Ulrich Schnabel.[5]
Personal life and death[edit]
Serkin was married to Wendy Spinner until their divorce in 1979; they had one daughter. He was then married to Regina Touhey, and had four children with her; they divorced in 2018. Serkin died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Red Hook, New York, on February 1, 2020.[1][3]