Michelangeli, Arturo Benedetti

▪ 1996

      Italian pianist (b. Jan. 5, 1920, Brescia, Italy—d. June 12, 1995, Lugano, Switz.), combined superb technique, clarity of tone, and a talent for delicate shadings in his interpretations, particularly of pieces by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Debussy, and Ravel. His demanding perfectionism and reclusive nature, however, often drove him to cancel scheduled performances on short notice or to leave the stage in the middle of a concert. Although Michelangeli played violin from the age of three, he concentrated on piano when he entered the Milan Conservatory seven years later. He abandoned a proposed medical career after winning the grand prize at the Geneva International Piano Competition in 1939. During World War II Michelangeli's playing career was interrupted for several years while he served as a pilot in the Italian air force. He began teaching in the early 1950s when ill health forced him to stop touring for a time. He was also director (1964-69) of an international pianists' academy in Brescia.

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▪ Italian musician

born Jan. 5, 1920, Brescia, Italy

died June 12, 1995, Lugano, Switz.

      Italian pianist best known for his interpretations of Romantic music, particularly that of Claude Debussy.

      Michelangeli began studying violin at the age of 3 and entered Milan Conservatory at the age of 10 as a piano student of Giuseppe Anfossi. After his graduation in 1933, he turned briefly to medical studies. In 1939 he won first prize at the Geneva International Piano Competition. He served in the Italian air force during World War II. His debuts in London (1946) and New York (1948) won critical acclaim, and he embarked upon an international career. He directed the International Pianists Academy at Brescia from 1964 to 1969; among his students were Martha Argerich and Maurizio Pollini. In his playing Michelangeli displayed consummate technique marked by great clarity and control of tone colour and counterpoint.

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