Claudio Arrau Collection

Claudio Arrau, a Chilean pianist, is counted amongst the most renowned performers of the 20th century. Arrau was a child prodigy, playing Beethoven sonatas by the age of 4 and debuting publicly at the age of 5. At 8, Arrau was sent to study in Germany on a 10-year-long grant from the Chilean government. Martin Krause, a Liszt pupil and Arrau’s teacher at the Berlin Conservatory, was a beloved figure in young Arrau’s life, and provided the bulk of his formal piano instruction. Krause died when Arrau was only 15, and Arrau never took on another teacher.

Arrau was known for performing complete cycles of composers’ work, including that of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Weber. He also recorded much of the work of Chopin, Schumann, Debussy, and Liszt. Despite his vast repertoire, Arrau remains most closely associated with Beethoven. He was an acclaimed interpreter of Beethoven’s works, and completed a performer’s edition of the 32 Beethoven Sonatas for the Peters publishing house. He was also a dedicated teacher, instructing students from across the world.

Arrau has been praised for his highly intellectual, thoughtful playing; he was considered a pianist of intense depth and strength. Outside of music, he was an avid reader, with a wide range of interests such as pre-Columbian and Etruscan art, opera, philosophy, and literature.

Arrau was married to mezzo-soprano Ruth Schneider, with whom he shared three children. Arrau died at age 88, in Austria