Irwin Gage Collection

American pianist Irwin Gage was a renowned specialist in accompanying Lieder who collaborated with many of the greatest singers of his day. He was born in Cleveland, OH in 1939 to a Hungarian father and a Russian mother. After studying piano, musicology and literature at the University of Michigan and Yale University, he went on to study at the Vienna Music Academy with Erik Werba. He also received instruction in the French art song repertoire in Paris from French baritone Pierre Bernac. Among the many singers he performed with were Elly Ameling, Arleen Auger, Walter Berry, Brigitte Fassbaender, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gundula Janowitz, Rene Kollo, Tom Krause, Christa Ludwig, Edda Moser, Jessye Norman, Lucia Popp, Hermann Prey, Christine Schäfer, Peter Schreier, Cheryl Studer and Martti Talvela. Gage made recordings on such labels as Decca, Philips, Telefunken, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and CBS Masterworks which garnered numerous awards, including the Grand Prix du Disques, the German Schallplattenprei and the Edison and Grammophone awards. As a teacher, Gage taught song interpretation classes at the Academy of Music and Theater in Zurich (now Zurich University of the Arts) from 1979 to 2005, and at the Saarbrücken Music Academy. Gage served on many juries for international music competitions and gave master classes in Europe, Japan and the United States. Gage died on April 12, 2018 in Zurich, where he resided for many years.