Cora Stell Andersen (1897–1989), also known as Cora Andersen, was an international concert pianist who toured during the 1920s with Silvio Scionti performing piano duos. In the 1930s and 1940s, she toured as a solo pianist and was the only American soloist invited to perform at the

1937 Paris Exposition The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mu ...

Early life and education

Cora Stell Andersen was born in Linn Grove, Iowa, and was of Norwegian descent. She was known as Cora Andersen until 1918, when she began using her middle name instead. She began to study the piano early and eventually went to Chicago to study with Silvio Scionti at the

American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservat ...

in Chicago. After graduating in 1916, she went to New York for further study with

Josef Lhévinne Josef Lhévinne (13 December 18742 December 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. Lhévinne wrote a short book in 1924 that is considered a classic: ''Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing''. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The L ...

and

Isidor Philipp Isidor Edmond Philipp (first name sometimes spelled Isidore) (2 September 1863 – 20 February 1958) was a French pianist, composer, and pedagogue of Jewish Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris. Biography Isidor Philipp ...

Musical career

Shortly thereafter, Andersen went on a concert tour with Scionti playing music for two pianos. Praised by critics for their imaginative and polished playing, they continued to tour together through the 1920s. Though they then stopped playing together regularly, they made occasional appearances together into the early 1950s. In 1922, Andersen made her solo debut in New York at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

. She toured the United States and Europe throughout the 1930s and 1940s, playing in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Belgium. In 1937, she was the only American soloist who was invited to perform at the Paris Exposition. She went on to perform for the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

of Windsor. In 1939, she became the first musician invited to perform on a newly installed piano in the East Room of the White House. Andersen's repertoire was mostly classical and Romantic, including such composers as

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, Chopin,

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of N ...

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, scientific transliteration: ''Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin''; also transliterated variously as Skriabin, Skryabin, and (in French) Scriabine. The composer himselused the French spelling "Scriabine" which was a ...

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

, Saint-Saens, and

Ives Ives is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Alice Emma Ives (1876–1930), American dramatist, journalist * Burl Ives (1909–1995), American singer, author and actor * Charles Ives (1874–1954), Ame ...

. In 1939, she premiered composer

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

's ''Fantaisie pastorale for piano and orchestra'', Op. 188 with Milhaud conducting. In 1952, she would record this piece and several others with conductor Jonathan Sternberg. Some were released immediately on a disc by Oceanic, while others were not released for another 30 years. Andersen was known for bringing dignity and flawless execution to her playing, but some critics found her style lacking in excitement and her tempi too free. She continued touring into the 1960s and died in 1989.

Personal life

Andersen's companion for many years was the author

Esther Morgan McCullough Esther Morgan McCullough (1888 – June 14, 1957) was an American novelist and anthologist. Biography Esther Morgan Park McCullough was born in North Bennington, Vermont, to Eliza Hall (Park) McCullough and John G. McCullough, an attorney and fu ...

, daughter of former Vermont governor John G. McCullough. In 1936, Andersen saw an exhibition of paintings by Harriet Blackstone at the Dudensing Gallery in New York and commissioned Blackstone to paint her portrait.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, Stell 1897 births 1989 deaths American Conservatory of Music alumni Musicians from Iowa American women classical pianists American classical pianists 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century classical pianists