Ania Dorfmann (9 July 1899 – 21 April 1984) was a Russian-American pianist and teacher, who taught at the Juilliard School in New York for many years and was the first of only a very few women pianists to play or record under Arturo Toscanini.
Ania Dorfmann was born in Odessa, Russia (now in Ukraine) in 1899, the daughter of a merchant. She gave her first concert at the age of 11. Around this time she accompanied the even younger Jascha Heifetz. [1] [2] In 1916-17 she studied in Paris with Isidor Philipp at the Conservatoire de Paris, [3] [4] then returned to Russia to find it in the midst of revolution. She returned to France in 1920, commenced her professional career in Belgium, [3] and played throughout Europe and Britain for the next 15 years, under such conductors as Willem Mengelberg, Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Henry Wood. [5] She made her home in London during this time. [4] Among the artists she appeared with in Britain were John McCormack [6] [7] and Heddle Nash. [8]
She made her New York debut in 1936 at the Town Hall, [1] and played there again in 1938 and 1939. She was the first female pianist ever engaged as a soloist by Arturo Toscanini, [1] [9] under whom she played Beethoven's Choral Fantasy with his NBC Symphony Orchestra on 2 December 1939, the only time Toscanini ever programmed that work. [10] They later played all the Beethoven piano concertos, [1] [11] and recorded the First Concerto in 1945 (there is also a recording of a live performance from 1939). [10] She settled in the United States in 1938, [4] touring and recording. Her agent at that time was David Rubin. [12] Her appearances included concerts under Serge Koussevitzky. [13]
In 1947 Ania Dorfmann worked intensively with the actress Barbara Stanwyck, who was making the film The Other Love, in which she played a concert pianist. [14] Although Ania Dorfmann played the piano music heard on screen, she had Stanwyck practise for three hours a day to make her actions match the music. [15]
In 1956 [1] (some sources say 1966) she joined the piano faculty of the Juilliard School, where she remained for most of the rest of her life. [4] [5] Ania Dorfmann's students included Lev Natochenny, [16] Alexander Peskanov, [17] [18] Solveig Funseth, [19] Minuetta Kessler, [20] Raymond Jackson, [21] Suezenne Fordham, [22] Roman Markowicz, [23] Robert Shannon, [24] and Marian Migdal. [25]
She retired in June 1983 and died on 21 April 1984, aged 84. [26]
She was the wife of Vladimir Dorfmann, a Russian businessman she met in Paris. Their daughter, Natacha Ullman (1929-1986), was a writer who used the pen name Natacha Stewart; she was the author of "Evil Eye and Other Stories", and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. Natacha had two sons, Nicolas and Alex Ullman. [27]
Ania Dorfmann made a number of recordings primarily for RCA Victor, some of the most notable of which were:
Ania Dorfmann (9 July 1899 – 21 April 1984) was a Russian-American pianist and teacher, who taught at the Juilliard School in New York for many years and was the first of only a very few women pianists to play or record under Arturo Toscanini.
Ania Dorfmann was born in Odessa, Russia (now in Ukraine) in 1899, the daughter of a merchant. She gave her first concert at the age of 11. Around this time she accompanied the even younger Jascha Heifetz. [1] [2] In 1916-17 she studied in Paris with Isidor Philipp at the Conservatoire de Paris, [3] [4] then returned to Russia to find it in the midst of revolution. She returned to France in 1920, commenced her professional career in Belgium, [3] and played throughout Europe and Britain for the next 15 years, under such conductors as Willem Mengelberg, Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Henry Wood. [5] She made her home in London during this time. [4] Among the artists she appeared with in Britain were John McCormack [6] [7] and Heddle Nash. [8]
She made her New York debut in 1936 at the Town Hall, [1] and played there again in 1938 and 1939. She was the first female pianist ever engaged as a soloist by Arturo Toscanini, [1] [9] under whom she played Beethoven's Choral Fantasy with his NBC Symphony Orchestra on 2 December 1939, the only time Toscanini ever programmed that work. [10] They later played all the Beethoven piano concertos, [1] [11] and recorded the First Concerto in 1945 (there is also a recording of a live performance from 1939). [10] She settled in the United States in 1938, [4] touring and recording. Her agent at that time was David Rubin. [12] Her appearances included concerts under Serge Koussevitzky. [13]
In 1947 Ania Dorfmann worked intensively with the actress Barbara Stanwyck, who was making the film The Other Love, in which she played a concert pianist. [14] Although Ania Dorfmann played the piano music heard on screen, she had Stanwyck practise for three hours a day to make her actions match the music. [15]
In 1956 [1] (some sources say 1966) she joined the piano faculty of the Juilliard School, where she remained for most of the rest of her life. [4] [5] Ania Dorfmann's students included Lev Natochenny, [16] Alexander Peskanov, [17] [18] Solveig Funseth, [19] Minuetta Kessler, [20] Raymond Jackson, [21] Suezenne Fordham, [22] Roman Markowicz, [23] Robert Shannon, [24] and Marian Migdal. [25]
She retired in June 1983 and died on 21 April 1984, aged 84. [26]
She was the wife of Vladimir Dorfmann, a Russian businessman she met in Paris. Their daughter, Natacha Ullman (1929-1986), was a writer who used the pen name Natacha Stewart; she was the author of "Evil Eye and Other Stories", and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. Natacha had two sons, Nicolas and Alex Ullman. [27]
Ania Dorfmann made a number of recordings primarily for RCA Victor, some of the most notable of which were: