Andor Foldes
Andor Foldes was an American pianist and conductor of Jewish-Hungarian origin. He was born in Budapest on December 21, 1913, and received the Franz Liszt Prize in 1933.
He began studying piano at the age of eight with T. Szatmari. In 1922, he made his debut with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450. He studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, graduating in 1932. There, he studied piano with Ernő Dohnányi, conducting with Ernő Unger, and composition with Leó Weiner.
From 1929 to 1945, Foldes was friends with Béla Bartók and studied Bartók’s piano works under his guidance. Foldes gave concerts across Europe and toured South America, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. In 1947, he gave the first performance of Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Foldes emigrated to the United States and lived in New York from 1940 to 1948, becoming an American citizen in 1948. He returned to Europe in 1948 and lived in Bad Homburg from 1954 before settling in Herrliberg, near Zurich. From 1958 to 1965, he taught a specialist piano class at the Saarbrücken College of Music. Known for his interpretations of Bartók and Beethoven, he also worked as a conductor from 1960. His listed professional roles included composition, arranging, and university teaching. He was named a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Foldes died on February 9, 1992, in Herrliberg from injuries sustained in a fall at his home.