Lorin Hollander (born July 19, 1944) is an American classical concert pianist. He has performed with virtually all of the major symphony orchestras in the United States and many around the world.
A ''New York Times'' critic called him in 1964 "the leading pianist of his generation."
Early life
Lorin Hollander was born in New York City into a Jewish family. His father, Max Hollander, was associate concertmaster of the
NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, the parent corporation of the National Broadcasting Company especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC ...
under
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
.
[
] Lorin Hollander was a child prodigy and gave his first public performance at age five playing excerpts of Bach's ''
The Well-Tempered Clavier
''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time ''clavier'' referred to a variety of keyboard instruments, ...
'', and at age eleven, he made his
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 ...
debut with the National Orchestral Association.
He studied with
Eduard Steuermann
Eduard Steuermann (June 18, 1892, Sambor, Austria-Hungary – November 11, 1964, New York City) was an Austrian-born American pianist and composer.
Steuermann studied piano with Vilém Kurz at the Lemberg Conservatory and Ferruccio Busoni in ...
from age eight and took courses at what is now the
Juilliard Pre-College at age eleven. His subsequent mentors were
Max Rudolf and
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher (July 23, 1928 – August 2, 2020) was an American classical pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He was one of the most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music correspondent Elijah Ho called him "one of the most re ...
and he spent two summers at Marlboro working with
Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin (28 March 1903 – 8 May 1991) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century.
Early life, childhood debut, and education
Serkin was born in ...
. He also worked periodically with Olga Stroumillo. He transferred from public school to Professional Children's School when he was thirteen, from which he graduated at sixteen.
Musical career
Beginning in 1959, Hollander toured regularly, performing as soloist with symphonies and in recital around the United States and Canada. He made a last-minute substitution for
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (July 12, 1934February 27, 2013) was an American pianist. At the age of 23, Cliburn achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 during the Cold ...
as soloist with the San Antonio Symphony at age 14.
In the same year, Hollander made his international debut with the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts.
History
Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...
. He also began making appearances on national television, including ''
The Perry Como Show
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...
'',
[
] ''
The Bell Telephone Hour
''The Bell Telephone Hour'', also known as ''The Telephone Hour'', is a concert series broadcast on NBC Radio Network from April 29, 1940 to June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and ...
'', and the following year on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
''.
[
] He began making critically acclaimed recordings for RCA in 1958. In 1961 he performed with the
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...
under the baton of
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
, and appearances with conductors such as Copland, Haitink, Leinsdorf, Levine, Mehta, Monteux, Ormandy, Ozawa, Previn, Schwarz and Szell continued throughout his career.
[
]
Hollander was the only soloist on the World Tour of the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...
with conductor
Max Rudolf in 1966 presented by the Department of State. His appearances in Europe began in 1965, when he made a recording in London of
Aram Khachaturian
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet Armenians, Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Music of the Soviet Union#Classical music of the Soviet Union, Soviet composers.
Khachaturian was born and rai ...
's piano concerto and
Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch (; ; July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. Several of his most no ...
's Scherzo Fantasque with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...
and conductor
André Previn
André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...
. In 1968 he debuted with the
Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, established in 1888 at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). It is considered one of the world's leading orchestras. It was known as the Concertgebouw Orchestra u ...
. Hollander has also performed with the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington's National Symphony, and internationally with the London Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw,
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) is a Swiss symphony orchestra, based in Geneva at the Victoria Hall. In addition to symphony concerts, the OSR performs as the opera orchestra in productions at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
History
...
, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra,
ORTF and New Tokyo Philharmonic.
In 1969, Hollander gave the first public classical recital using the Baldwin Electronic Concert Grand at the
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was Promoter (entertainment), rock promoter Bill Graham (promoter), Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue near 6th Street (Manhattan), East 6th Street on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan, ...
, a venue that usually hosted rock concerts, where he hoped to expose his young contemporaries to classical music. The amplified piano was chosen because of the hall's unsatisfactory acoustics. Hollander played pieces by Debussy, Bach, and Prokofiev, and himself. In 1971 he was the first classical pianist to give street concerts in East Harlem and in Queens, under the auspices of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Hollander premiered
Norman Dello Joio
Norman Dello Joio (January 24, 1913July 24, 2008) was an American composer active for over half a century. Best known for his choral music, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1957.
Life
Dello Joio was born in New York City to Italian im ...
's ''Fantasy and Variations'' and the RCA recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Erich Leinsdorf conducting was nominated for a Grammy in 1964. Other premieres of new classical works related to Hollander's career include Gunther Schuller's ''Concerto for 3 Hands'', which was written for Hollander and
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher (July 23, 1928 – August 2, 2020) was an American classical pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He was one of the most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music correspondent Elijah Ho called him "one of the most re ...
(1990).
Among Hollander's students is the American composer
Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer and academic, currently affiliated with the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Early life
Danielpour was born in New York City of Persian Jew ...
.
Educator
Hollander is also known for his advocacy of the arts in education; he has testified before the U.S. Congress and many state legislatures and created some of the first models of community outreach and university residencies for the National Endowment of the Arts, American Symphony Orchestra League, and the National Association for Music Education (formerly Music Educators National Conference).
Hollander was an advisor to the U.S. Office of the Gifted and Talented, the World Congress on the Gifted, and the Commission on Presidential Scholars. A special educational session with students from Philadelphia's Edison High, then an inner city school, was taped for an hour-long NET-TV special in 1970 titled ''Up Against the Wall.'' Hollander was a member of the Rockefeller Panel on the Arts, Education and Americans for the American Council for the Arts in Education and in 1977 a panel report "Coming to Our Senses" was published.
He has also worked with organizations including the Social Science Research Council, the International Federation of Music Therapy, International Transpersonal Association, and the American Psychiatric Association.
In recognition of Hollander's work in arts education, the Tennessee Arts Academy, an arts in education program of the Tennessee Department of Education, created the Lorin Hollander Award, which is given to a Tennessean whose influence has benefited arts education.
Awards and recognitions
Hollander has received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Maine, Buena Vista College and Ithaca College. The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function recognized Lorin Hollander with the 2003 Music Has Power Award for his advocacy of music and healing. The award is given for: significant accomplishments by exceptional individuals who have brought new understanding to the use of the power of music to awaken and heal. He is an honorary Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation.
Personal life
Hollander is the father of three sons, Jesse, Joshua and Aaron. He resides in Mid Coast Maine with his wife, Tara.
Selected discography
* Discovering the Piano, A Guide to Piano Playing: 22 Favorites for Students of All Ages RCA Camden (1958)
* Polonaise, Lorin Hollander, Pianist RCA Camden (1959)
* Dello Joio, "Fantasy and Variation" and Ravel "Concerto in G," Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf, Conductor, RCA Victor (1963)
* Prokofieff Piano Concerto No. 5, Lorin Hollander, Violin Concerto No. 1, Erick Friedman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf, Conductor RCA Victor (1964)
* Khachaturian Piano Concerto / Bloch Scherzo Fantasque Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – André Previn, Conductor, RCA Victor (1965)
* Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition RCA Victor (1965)
* A Lorin Hollander Concert – Bach: Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring; Beethoven: "Tempest" Sonata; Brahms: Intermezzo in B-flat minor; Schumann: Arabeske, RCA Victor (1966)
* Lorin Hollander at the Fillmore East - Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7; Bach: Partita No. 6; Debussy: "Fireworks"; Hollander: Toccata, "Up Against the Wall," Angel (1969)
* Copland "Piano Concerto," Lorin Hollander with the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz, Conductor, Delos (1995), reissued by Naxos (2012)
Television and film
* ''
The Bell Telephone Hour
''The Bell Telephone Hour'', also known as ''The Telephone Hour'', is a concert series broadcast on NBC Radio Network from April 29, 1940 to June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and ...
'' 1959 - 1965
* The Perry Como Show 1959, 1961 - 1963
* The Ed Sullivan Show 1960
* The Merv Griffin Show - Season 6, Episode 155 - April 4, 1969
* The Merv Griffin Show - Season 7, Episode 32 - September 30, 1969
[
]
* The Merv Griffin Show - Season 7, Episode 80 - December 8, 1969
* Episode Old Friends...New Friends with interviewing host
Fred Rogers
Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television s ...
1978
* ''
Sophie's Choice'' - Performer,
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the popular English title of the chorale from the 1723 Advent cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'' (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life), BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The chorale occurs twice in the ca ...
&
Lieder ohne Worte 1982
* DVD Great Pianists on the Bell Telephone Hour: 1959-1967, VAI 2002 DVD
References
External links
Official Website*
Memories and Visions of Transformative Education Through Music: an April 2005 interview with Lorin Hollander Journal for Music-In-Education, 2007 pg. 23-34.
*
Interview with Lorin Hollander" Janine Lehane, May 2000.
*
Lorin Hollander Interview"
NAMM Oral History Program
The NAMM Oral History Program is an oral history project and archive of recordings of interviews with people from all aspects of the music products industry, including Music store, music instrument retailers, musical instrument and product creato ...
April 16, 2004.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollander, Lorin
1944 births
American classical pianists
American male pianists
Pupils of Eduard Steuermann
Living people
Jewish classical pianists
RCA Victor artists
20th-century American pianists
21st-century American classical pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians