作者简介
GraffmanwasborninNewYorkCitytoRussian-Jewishparents.Havingstartedpianoatage3,GraffmanenteredtheCurtisInstituteofMusicatage7in1936asapianostudentofIsabelleVengerova.AftergraduatingfromCurtisin1946,hemadehisprofessionalsolodebutwithconductorEugeneOrmandyandthePhiladelphiaOrchestra.Bytheageof20,GaryGraffmanhadmadeanameforhimselfworldwideasaclassicalpianist.In1949,hewontheprestigiousLeventrittCompetition.HethenfurtheredhispianostudieswithRudolfSerkinattheMarlboroMusicFestivalandinformallywithVladimirHorowitz.Overthenextthreedecades,hetouredandrecordedextensively,performingsoloandwithorchestrasaroundtheglobe.In1964,herecordedRachmaninoff'sRhapsodyonaThemeofPaganiniwithLeonardBernsteinconductingtheNewYorkPhilharmonic.HealsomadeaclassicrecordingofProkofiev'sThirdPianoConcertowithGeorgeSzellandtheClevelandOrchestrain1966.ItwasreissuedonCDaspartofSonyClassical's"GreatPerformances"seriesin2006.ProbablyGraffman'smostfamousrecordedperformancewasforthesoundtrackofthe1979WoodyAllenmovieManhattaninwhichheplayedGeorgeGershwin'sRhapsodyInBlue,accompaniedbytheNewYorkPhilharmonic.PortionsofthePhilharmonic/GraffmanversionhavebeenfeaturedcountlesstimesinTVandmoviesoverthelastquartercentury.In1977,hesprainedtheringfingerofhisrighthand.Becauseofthisinjuryhebeganre-fingeringsomepassagesforthathandinsuchawayastoavoidusingtheaffectedfinger.Unfortunately,thisalteredtechniqueexacerbatedtheinjuryratherthanamelioratingit,ultimatelyforcinghimtostopusinghisrighthandaltogetherbyaround1979.Thissetbackencouragedhimtopursueotherinterestssuchaswriting,photography,andOrientalart.In1980,hejoinedthefacultyattheCurtisInstitutewherehiscareerhadbegun.Hetookoverastheschool'sdirectorin1986,andaddedthetitleofPresidentin1995,servinginbothcapacitiesthroughMay,2006.HecontinuesasafacultymemberatCurtisteachingpiano.In1985hegavetheUKpremiereofErichWolfgangKorngold'sPianoConcertoinC-sharpfortheLeftHand.PaulWittgensteincommissionedtheworkinthe1920sandplayeditmanytimes,butitlaterslippedfromtherepertoire.[3]Sevenleft-handworkshavebeencommissionedforGraffman.In1993,forexample,heperformedtheworldpremiereofNedRorem'sPianoConcertoNo.4,writtenspecificallyforthelefthand,andin2001hepremieredDaronHagen'sconcertoSevenLastWords.TheAmericancomposerWilliamBolcomcomposedGaea,aconcertofortwopianos,lefthandforGraffmanandLeonFleisher.ItreceiveditsfirstperformanceinBaltimoreinApril1996.Throughhislongstandingserviceanddevotiontomusic,Graffmanhasreceivedhonorarydoctoraldegrees,washonoredbythecitiesofPhiladelphiaandNewYork,andreceivedtheGovernor'sArtsAwardbytheCommonwealthofPennsylvania.Inadditiontohisadministrativeresponsibilities,Graffmanremainsactiveasateacherandcoachofpianoandchambermusic.HisnotablestudentsincludethepianovirtuososLydiaArtymiw,LangLang,YujaWang,andHaochenZhang.
