Gyöngyösi Szilvia

Raphael Joseffy and New York
Szilvia Gyöngyösi

One of the most talented Hungarian pianist students of Franz Liszt was Raphael Joseffy (1852-1915). He studied at Moscheles in Leipzig, at C. Tausig in Berlin and from 1869 in Weimar, under direction of Franz Liszt. From the early 1870’s he settled in Vienna. Allover europe gave successful concerts, which were documented in the contemporary musical periodicals in Hungary and in abroad too.
After his farewell-concert in Budapest (12 March, 1879) Joseffy’s artistic carrier continued in the United States of America. Beside his pianist success he became famous as piano teacher as well. He taught in the National Conservatory in New York (the director was A. Dvoøak) and played important role in the American music-education.
More over he was active as composer too. He was composing probably before 1895. The works to be found in Hungary in Budapest and in America in New York. The pieces are mainly for piano and there are own compositions, transcriptions of Liszt’s and Chopin’s works and works among them, which were edited, revised and fingered by Joseffy.