Nina Deutsch Collection

Nina Deutsch was a performer and dedicated educator, teaching both piano and voice in a variety of genres. She received degrees from Juilliard and Yale, studying with Sascha Gorodnitzki, Dorothy Taubman, and Rudolf Firkušný, amongst others. Deutsch made her piano debut at Carnegie Hall in 1968 and enjoyed an active performance career throughout the United States, Europe, and China in the years that followed. During her time at Yale, Deutsch studied the music of Charles Ives, which became a lifelong passion. Notably, she was the first woman to record the entirety of Ives' piano music.

Deutsch was a child prodigy, beginning her studies at the age of 5 and making her debut with an orchestra in Miami at 10 years old. Deutsch performed as a pianist and as a singer (often while accompanying herself), and she performed in original one-woman theatrical works based around the lives of composers such as Clara Schumann. She took up the pseudonym “Nina Diamond” for popular music performances, playing in clubs, restaurants, and on cruise ships. Deutsch appeared on several television specials and radio shows as well, including with Robert Sherman on “The Listening Room” and on CBS's “To Tell the Truth. "

Nina Deutsch died on January 22, 2024. The Nina Deutsch Collection at IPAM consists mainly of audiovisual materials relating to her performances, recordings, and TV/radio appearances, but also includes a small number of photographs and other papers.