Ignacy Friedman

Polish pianist
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Quick Facts
Born:
Feb. 14, 1882, Podgórze, near Kraków, Pol., Austria-Hungary
Died:
Jan. 26, 1948, Sydney, Australia (aged 65)

Ignacy Friedman (born Feb. 14, 1882, Podgórze, near Kraków, Pol., Austria-Hungary—died Jan. 26, 1948, Sydney, Australia) was a Polish pianist noted for his performances of the works of Frédéric Chopin.

Friedman studied music theory with Hugo Riemann in Leipzig. In Vienna he studied composition with Guido Adler and studied piano with Theodor Leschetizky for four years. After his debut in 1904, he gave more than 2,800 concerts around the world. In 1940 he moved to Sydney. He was a famous interpreter of Chopin, editing the Breitkopf & Härtel annotated edition of his works in 12 volumes. He wrote about 100 piano pieces in the popular salon style; the best-known of these are in a group of Fantasiestücke. He also transcribed for piano some 18th-century orchestral music, but he is remembered mostly for his brilliant concert career.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.