Frankl, Peter

Frankl, Peter, notable Hungarian-born English pianist; b. Budapest, Oct. 2, 1935. He was a student of Kodaly, Weiner, and Hernadi at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. In 1957 he won 1st prize in both the Long-Thibaud (Paris) and Munich competitions, and in 1959 he captured 1st prize in the Rio de Janeiro competition. Following his successful London debut in 1962, he returned there in 1963 as soloist in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Kertesz and the London Sym. Orch. In 1965 he made his U.S. debut in a recital in Dallas. He became a naturalized British subject in 1967. That same year, he made his first tour of Australia, was soloist in Mozart’s E-flat major Concerto, K.482, with Szell and the Cleveland Orch. in Cleveland and on tour in N.Y., and played Mozart’s B- flat major Concerto, K.450, with Martinon and the Chicago Sym. Orch. In 1969 he made his debut with the Berlin Phil, as soloist in Mozart’s G major Concerto, K.453, under Barbirolli’s direction. With the violinist Gyorgy Pauk and the cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, he founded a trio in 1972 with which he subsequently toured widely. The trio celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1997. In 1975 he made his debut with Maazel and the Israel Phil, as soloist in Mozart’s C minor Concerto, K.491, the same year that he made his first tour of New Zealand. He made his first appearance in Tokyo as soloist in Beethoven’s 4th Concerto under Masur’s direction in 1976. In 1977 he played Mozart’s D major Concerto, K.451, at his debut with Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orch. in Amsterdam. In subsequent years, Frankl’s engagements as a soloist with orchs. and as a recitalist took him all over the globe. In 1987 he became a visiting prof, at the Yale Univ. School of Music. He received the Order of Merit from the president of Hungary in 1995.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire