David Saperton

David Saperton (October 29, 1889, Pittsburgh – July 5, 1970, New York) was an American pianist and music educator. He studied under August Spanuth in the United States and later followed him to Germany, where he also studied with Ferruccio Busoni. He made his debut in New York at the age of fifteen, performing Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1.

In 1908 and 1909, Saperton performed in Europe, appearing with singer Geraldine Farrar among others. Upon returning to the United States, he concertized from 1912 to 1918 before interrupting his performing career. From 1919 to 1921, he worked in New York before moving with his family to Chicago.

Saperton's musical career received a new impulse in 1924 when he married Vanita Godowsky, the eldest daughter of the renowned pianist and composer Leopold Godowsky. Saperton mastered a significant portion of Godowsky's compositions and transcriptions, becoming for many years virtually their sole interpreter and champion. He recorded two albums of this music, in 1940 and 1952, and also made a recording of Chopin's Études.

Godowsky also recommended Saperton to Josef Hofmann, who invited him to teach at the Curtis Institute of Music. Saperton worked there for more than ten years, counting Jorge Bolet, Abbey Simon, Sidney Foster, Shura Cherkassky, and Eleanor Sokoloff among his students. In 1938, he was forced to leave the Curtis Institute following its director Hofmann and subsequently taught privately.

Connections

This figure has 2 connections in the Music Lineage catalog.