Peter Serkin

Composers

Biography

Born: July 24, 1947; New York, NY  
Son of one of the recording era's most rigorous interpreters of piano music from the Classical age, Peter Serkin has propounded equal rigor as a pianist and musical voyageur, but in rather different directions. With a measure of integrity scarcely less than that demonstrated by his father, Rudolf, Peter Serkin has sought to serve the music of his own time while not neglecting masterworks of the past. An earlier tipping of the scales that gave the Read more advantage to contemporary music has gradually centered itself to allow for attention to established works. Serkin has also become a respected teacher at several important institutions and continues to work in ensemble with other musicians of proven excellence. His quest for truth and adventure continues unabated.

Given the level of performance heard in his own home, Peter Serkin's early interest in music was scarcely surprising. First lessons came from his father, but later, in 1958, the young pianist was enrolled at the Curtis Institute to study with Lee Luvisi. Advanced lessons with Mieczyslaw Horszowski (who was still an active performer when he died at age 100) played an important part of the formation of Serkin's musical persona, as did instruction from flutist Marcel Moyse. By his early teens, the pianist had already become a veteran performer and those artists with whom he collaborated were also significant in the shaping of his interests. His performances of the Mozart Double Piano Concerto with George Szell, Szell's superbly prepared Cleveland Orchestra, and his father as keyboard partner are well-remembered. Once Serkin began to perform on his own, however, the repertory he performed took a pronounced turn toward the new and unusual and was offered in concerts scheduled for what he regarded as special occasions and venues. Time spent in India seemed to have both galvanized Serkin's dedication to a career and further expanded his notions of how music might be formed. The founding of the contemporary music group Tashi brought him together with violinist Ida Kavafian, cellist Fred Sherry, and Robert Marcellus-trained clarinetist Richard Stoltzman for study and performance of new works. Live performances and recordings by the ensemble only enhanced the celebrity of its players while in the process, much worthwhile music gained a new audience. Serkin's performances and recordings embrace the music of several centuries. He has recorded Bach and Mozart while a solo disc for Koch International Classics holds works by Webern, Wolpe, Messiaen, Knussen, Wuorinen, Lieberson, and Takemitsu. Lieberson's Piano Concerto No. 1 and No. 2 were both premiered by Serkin and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1983 and 1998, respectively. During the 2001-2002 season, Serkin scheduled a series of concerts offering the music of Schoenberg, chamber and solo works alike, and mixing them with pieces by Haydn. During his career, Peter Serkin has performed with many of the world's most celebrated orchestras and in numerous festival venues. He serves on the faculties of the Curtis Institute, the Juilliard School of Music, and the Tanglewood Music Center. In 1983, he was honored by becoming the first pianist to have been given the outstanding achievement award granted by Siena's Accademia Musicale Chigiana. Read less

Featured Peter Serkin CDs & DVDs:

Schoenberg: Piano & Violin Concertos / Boulez, P. Serkin
Schoenberg: Piano & Violin Concertos / Boulez, P. Serkin
Release Date: 12/26/2007   Label: Erato  
Catalog: 88175   Number of Discs: 1
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Browse 26-50 of 62 Available Recordings
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  • 26.
    Takemitsu: Cantos / Richard Stoltzman
    Takemitsu: Cantos / Richard Stoltzman
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 62537 Release Date: 12/26/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Toru Takemitsu
    Performer:  Richard Stoltzman,  Ida Kavafian,  Peter Serkin,  David Frost  ... 
    Conductor:  Tadaaki Otaka
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Tashi,  BBC Welsh Symphony
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  • 27.
    Beethoven: The Last Six Piano Sonatas / Peter Serkin
    Beethoven: The Last Six Piano Sonatas / Peter Serkin
    Label: Musical Concepts   Catalog: 122 Release Date: 09/11/2007   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
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  • 28.
    Oliver Knussen: Songs Without Voices
    Oliver Knussen: Songs Without Voices
    Label: Virgin Classics   Catalog: 59308 Release Date: 08/29/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Oliver Knussen
    Performer:  Lisa Saffer,  Lucy Shelton,  Peter Serkin
    Conductor:  Oliver Knussen
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
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  • 29.
    Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos 17 & 18 / P Serkin, Schneider
    Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos 17 & 18 / P Serkin, Schneider
    Label: Rca Victrola   Catalog: 60790 Release Date: 07/23/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
    Conductor:  Alexander Schneider
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Chamber Orchestra
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  • 30.
    Schoenberg: Pelleas, Variations, Concertos / Boulez
    Schoenberg: Pelleas, Variations, Concertos / Boulez
    Label: Apex   Catalog: 4699845 Release Date: 03/19/2007   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Arnold Schoenberg
    Performer:  Pierre Amoyal,  Peter Serkin
    Conductor:  Pierre Boulez
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra
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  • 31.
    Leon Kirchner: Works For Solo Piano / Jeremy Denk, Et Al
    Leon Kirchner: Works For Solo Piano / Jeremy Denk, Et Al
    Label: Albany Records   Catalog: 906 Release Date: 03/13/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Leon Kirchner
    Performer:  Leon Fleisher,  Peter Serkin,  Max Levinson,  Jonathan Biss  ... 
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  • 32.
    Lieberson: Rilke Songs, Six Realms, Etc / Serkin, Et Al
    Lieberson: Rilke Songs, Six Realms, Etc / Serkin, Et Al
    Label: Bridge   Catalog: 9178 Release Date: 05/30/2006   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Peter Lieberson
    Performer:  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson,  Peter Serkin,  Michaela Fukacková,  William Purvis
    Conductor:  Justin Brown,  Donald Palma
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Odense Symphony Orchestra
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  • 33.
    Echo 20/21 Takemitsu: Garden Rain
    Echo 20/21 Takemitsu: Garden Rain
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 4775382 Release Date: 02/08/2005   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Toru Takemitsu
    Performer:  Ursula Holliger,  Heinz Holliger,  Aurčle Nicolet,  Namiko Umezu  ... 
    Conductor:  Hiroshi Wakasugi,  Jürg Wyttenbach
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Basel Ensemble,  Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
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  • 34.
    Classical Music 101 - 101 Famous Classical Themes
    Classical Music 101 - 101 Famous Classical Themes
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 63691 Release Date: 09/28/2004   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Gioachino Rossini,  Igor Stravinsky,  Georges Bizet,  Richard Wagner  ... 
    Performer:  José Luis Garcia,  Placido Domingo,  Carlo Bergonzi,  Barry Douglas  ... 
    Conductor:  Arthur Fiedler,  Erich Leinsdorf,  Fritz Reiner,  Eugene Ormandy  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Boston Pops,  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 35.
    Piano - The Most Beautiful Melodies
    Piano - The Most Beautiful Melodies
    Label: Reference Gold   Catalog: 4894 Release Date: 01/28/2003   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johannes Brahms,  Claude Debussy,  Sergei Rachmaninov,  Erik Satie  ... 
    Performer:  Peter Serkin,  Ronan O'Hora,  Andy Vinter,  Raymond Spasovski  ... 
    Conductor:  Robert Shaw,  Carl Davis,  Jonathan Carney,  Joseph Silverstein
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  Utah Symphony Orchestra
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  • 36.
    Inspired Bach - Music To Enhance Your Spirit
    Inspired Bach - Music To Enhance Your Spirit
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 63830 Release Date: 09/11/2001   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Keith Jarrett,  Michala Petri,  Lars Hannibal,  Peter Serkin  ... 
    Conductor:  Thomas Hengelbrock,  Andrew Lawrence-King,  Gustav Leonhardt,  Enoch zu Guttenberg  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Freiburg Baroque Orchestra,  Balthaser-Neumann Choir,  Harp Consort  ... 
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  • 37.
    Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas; Schumann / Wright, Serkin
    Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas; Schumann / Wright, Serkin
    Label: Boston Records   Catalog: 1005 Release Date: 01/01/2001   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Robert Schumann,  Johannes Brahms
    Performer:  Harold Wright,  Peter Serkin
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  • 38.
    Chamber Music With Oboe / Genovese, Serkin
    Chamber Music With Oboe / Genovese, Serkin
    Label: Boston Records   Catalog: 1004 Release Date: 01/01/2001   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Charles Martin Loeffler,  Robert Schumann,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Francis Poulenc  ... 
    Performer:  Alfred Genovese,  Burton Fine,  Robert Spano,  Peter Serkin  ... 
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  • 39.
    Musique Française / Serkin, Mcgill, Genovese, Chrisfield
    Musique Française / Serkin, Mcgill, Genovese, Chrisfield
    Label: Boston Records   Catalog: 1022 Release Date: 01/01/2001   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Erik Satie,  Emmanuel Chabrier,  Theodore Lalliet,  Jacques Ibert  ... 
    Performer:  Alfred Genovese,  Peter Serkin,  Carla Chrisfield,  David McGill
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  • 40.
    Goehr: Piano Concerto, Symphony / Serkin, Knussen, Bernas
    Goehr: Piano Concerto, Symphony / Serkin, Knussen, Bernas
    Label: Nmc   Catalog: 23 Release Date: 09/15/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Alexander Goehr
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
    Conductor:  Oliver Knussen,  Richard Bernas
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Sinfonietta,  BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
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  • 41.
    Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op 27 No 1-2, Op 57 / Peter Serkin
    Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op 27 No 1-2, Op 57 / Peter Serkin
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 63668 Release Date: 06/06/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
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  • 42.
    The Ocean Has No East And No West / Peter Serkin
    The Ocean Has No East And No West / Peter Serkin
    Label: Koch International Classics   Catalog: 7450 Release Date: 03/28/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Charles Wuorinen,  Peter Lieberson,  Oliver Knussen,  Toru Takemitsu  ... 
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
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  • 43.
    Triumph Of The Piano - Keyboard Classics From Bach To Bartok
    Triumph Of The Piano - Keyboard Classics From Bach To Bartok
    Label: Sony Classical Npr Milestones   Catalog: 60993 Release Date: 01/18/2000   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Igor Stravinsky,  Scott Joplin,  Béla Bartók,  Claude Debussy  ... 
    Performer:  Yefim Bronfman,  Eugene List,  Paul Crossley,  Philippe Entremont  ... 
    Conductor:  Esa-Pekka Salonen,  George Szell
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra,  Philharmonia Orchestra,  Cleveland Orchestra members
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  • 44.
    Music For Two Pianos - Mozart, Reger, Busoni /Schiff, Serkin
    Music For Two Pianos - Mozart, Reger, Busoni /Schiff, Serkin
    Label: Ecm   Catalog: 465062 Release Date: 10/05/1999   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Ferruccio Busoni,  Max Reger
    Performer:  András Schiff,  Peter Serkin
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  • 45.
    Chopin For Relaxation
    Chopin For Relaxation
    Label: Rca   Catalog: 63423 Release Date: 04/13/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Frédéric Chopin
    Performer:  Andrei Nikolsky,  Géza Anda,  Emanuel Ax,  Peter Serkin  ... 
    Conductor:  Eugene Ormandy
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra
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  • 46.
    Messiaen: Visions de l'amen / Serkin, Takahashi
    Messiaen: Visions de l'amen / Serkin, Takahashi
    Label: Rca   Catalog: 68907 Release Date: 02/09/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Olivier Messiaen
    Performer:  Peter Serkin,  Yuji Takahashi
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  • 47.
    Brahms: The Violin Sonatas / Pamela Frank, Peter Serkin
    Brahms: The Violin Sonatas / Pamela Frank, Peter Serkin
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 455643 Release Date: 11/10/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johannes Brahms
    Performer:  Peter Serkin,  Pamela Frank
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  • 48.
    ...In Real Time - Berio, Goehr, Henze, Et Al / Peter Serkin
    ...In Real Time - Berio, Goehr, Henze, Et Al / Peter Serkin
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 68189 Release Date: 08/30/1998   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Leon Kirchner,  Peter Lieberson,  Toru Takemitsu,  Luciano Berio  ... 
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
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  • 49.
    Piano - The Greatest Hits
    Piano - The Greatest Hits
    Label: Reference Gold   Catalog: 3622 Release Date: 03/03/1998   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven,  George Gershwin,  Erik Satie,  Sergei Rachmaninov  ... 
    Performer:  Russell Sherman,  Marian Pivka,  Raymond Spasovski,  Garrison Kent  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,  Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 50.
    Bach: Inventions, Sinfonias / Peter Serkin
    Bach: Inventions, Sinfonias / Peter Serkin
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 68594 Release Date: 02/11/1997   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Peter Serkin
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