Roberto Eyzaguirre (September 10, 1923 – October 19, 2004) was a Peruvian-American classical pianist and famed piano pedagogue. He was a longtime friend and pupil of the legendary 20th-century virtuoso pianist Claudio Arrau, who had studied under a pupil of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

. He was noted for his colorful playing and "big tone."

Biography

Eyzaguirre studied piano performance at the National Conservatory of Music in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

before moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in his early twenties to study with Claudio Arrau. In New York, he met June Gallaher, who was studying

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

at the Juilliard School of Music. They married in 1948. With Arrau's assistance, Eyzaguirre made his Carnegie Hall debut in the 1960s, receiving favorable reviews from the New York music critics. Despite showing early signs of exceptional promise, Eyzaguirre's career was cut short due to

ulcers An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing ...

. Unable to return to performing, he received a doctorate in

musicology Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, ...

from the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

and turned to teaching. He taught at School of the Holy Child, Sam Houston State University, and Houston Baptist University. His successful students included the acclaimed conductor John Axelrod. Eyzaguirre was an esteemed pedagogue in the Houston area. He taught at Sam Houston State University in 1972–1973, and Houston Baptist University in 1973–1981 and perhaps beyond. He collaborated with accomplished accompanist Edith Orloff during the late 1970s. Eyzaguirre gained a loyal following from students at these Texas universities who sought his musical advice decades after. Eyzaguirre was also an accomplished recitalist in the Houston area. One memorable recital was a shared recital at Houston Baptist University where he performed the "Carnival" of Schumann, one of his favorite teaching works. Eyzaguirre was also briefly mentioned in Beryl Singleton Bissell's ''The Scent of God: A Memoir''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyzaguirre, Roberto Peruvian emigrants to the United States American classical pianists Male classical pianists American male pianists 1923 births 2004 deaths Musicians from Houston Houston Christian University faculty 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American musicologists 20th-century American male musicians