| Biography | Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. When he was seven his family moved to Poland, where he studied piano and then two years later to Canada where he continued to study music. In 1961 the family moved to New York City and Ax continued his studies at the Juilliard School under Mieczyslaw Munz.
Ax is a supporter of contemporary composers and has given three world premieres in the last few seasons; Century Rolls by John Adams, Seeing by Christopher Rouse and Red Silk Dance by Bright Sheng. He also performs works by such diverse figures as Michael Tippett, Hans Werner Henze, Joseph Schwantner and Paul Hindemith, as well as more traditional composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin.
Ax has been the main duo recital partner of cellist Yo-Yo Ma since 1973 when the pair performed its first public recital at the Marlboro Music School and Festival. Ax also played quartets briefly with Ma and violinists Isaac Stern and Jaime Laredo. |