George van Renesse
George Gustaaf Frederik van Renesse (21 February 1909 – 10 December 1994) was a Dutch pianist, conductor and music teacher. He was born in Zaamslag, Zeelandic Flanders, the son of the physician Willem Dignus van Renesse and Maria Johanna Berendina Theresia Beljaars.
Musically gifted from an early age, Van Renesse became a capable pianist without formal study. At the age of eleven, while his family lived in Deventer, he accompanied the Deventer Mixed Choir. He later studied with the pianist Ulfert Schults and the composer Sem Dresden, continued in Paris with Ricardo Viñes, and studied in Berlin with Leonid Kreutzer.
Van Renesse performed as pianist with The Amsterdam Quintet and appeared with Willem Mengelberg in Rome. He made several concert tours with the Budapest Trio between 1930 and 1945, and accompanied the violinist Yehudi Menuhin on one of Menuhin's first international tours in 1947.
From the time of his studies in Paris until the end of the Second World War, he was principal piano teacher at the Amsterdam Conservatory, serving from 1930 to 1945. He continued to teach after leaving the conservatory, and many pianists later recorded him as one of their teachers.
From 1954, Van Renesse worked as a producer and recording director for the Dutch Radio Union and Dutch broadcasting. He presented his own Wednesday-afternoon radio programme, Performers Heard, in which he analysed and performed works by Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss and Frédéric Chopin. He was also highly regarded as an accompanist for instrumentalists and singers.
He recorded for the Artone and CNR labels. Between 1928 and 1974, he appeared as soloist in 90 concerts with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Van Renesse died in Bussum on 10 December 1994 and was cremated at Daelwijck.