Musician. He was a Cuban virtuoso concert pianist. Bolet was one of the very finest romantic concert pianists of the twentieth century who specialized in playing the works of Franz Liszt and Frederic Chopin. He had a sister, Maria, who was his first piano teacher and two brothers, Alberto, and Guillermo. At 12 years of age he attended the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and studied with such renowned pianists of the Romantic School as David Saperton, Leopold Godowsky, Moriz Rosenthal and Josef Hoffmann. Of his own personal favourites, it was Josef Hoffman and Sergei Rachmaninoff who he admired the most. Due to his special love of the romantic style, his career did not receive the recognition it so greatly deserved as the current fashion then was for the common percussive taste. Later in life, during the 1970s, this changed and his technique was suddenly properly admired. Earlier, Bolet had been the pianist on the remarkable sound track of the 1960 film about the life of Franz Liszt: "Song Without End." During his life, he undertook extensive teaching first at the Indiana University and then the Curtis Institute where he became head of the piano department. He felt it was his obligation to pass on the wonderful romantic piano technique of the past. From 1988 he suffered from declining ill health and in 1989 underwent brain surgery. He died, aged 75, according to his manager from a heart attack at his home in Mountain View, California, United States of America. He was survived by his sister and both brothers.
Musician. He was a Cuban virtuoso concert pianist. Bolet was one of the very finest romantic concert pianists of the twentieth century who specialized in playing the works of Franz Liszt and Frederic Chopin. He had a sister, Maria, who was his first piano teacher and two brothers, Alberto, and Guillermo. At 12 years of age he attended the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and studied with such renowned pianists of the Romantic School as David Saperton, Leopold Godowsky, Moriz Rosenthal and Josef Hoffmann. Of his own personal favourites, it was Josef Hoffman and Sergei Rachmaninoff who he admired the most. Due to his special love of the romantic style, his career did not receive the recognition it so greatly deserved as the current fashion then was for the common percussive taste. Later in life, during the 1970s, this changed and his technique was suddenly properly admired. Earlier, Bolet had been the pianist on the remarkable sound track of the 1960 film about the life of Franz Liszt: "Song Without End." During his life, he undertook extensive teaching first at the Indiana University and then the Curtis Institute where he became head of the piano department. He felt it was his obligation to pass on the wonderful romantic piano technique of the past. From 1988 he suffered from declining ill health and in 1989 underwent brain surgery. He died, aged 75, according to his manager from a heart attack at his home in Mountain View, California, United States of America. He was survived by his sister and both brothers.
Bio by: Timothy Purnell
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