Leonard Shure was an American pianist and music teacher. The son of Jewish emigrants from Russia, he grew up in Chicago, where he received his first music lessons. He performed widely from an early age.
In 1925, Shure went to Berlin to study with Artur Schnabel. He later worked as Schnabel’s assistant for several years, returning to the United States in 1933. His performing career began with a collaboration with Serge Koussevitzky, under whose direction Shure made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His piano repertoire focused on German music, including works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. As an accompanist, he performed with Isaac Stern, Paul Tortelier, and Leontyne Price. He recorded Beethoven’s violin sonatas with Henry Temianka and toured the Soviet Union in 1979.
Shure began teaching at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He later held professorships at the University of Texas and the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as teaching at other institutions. From 1976 to 1990, he again taught at the New England Conservatory. His students included Ursula Oppens, Gilbert Kalish, Jerome Rose, Lawrence Leighton Smith, and Philippe Moll.