- Steven DeGroote
Infobox musical artist
Name = Steven DeGroote
Img_capt =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born = 1953Johannesburg ,South Africa
Died =May 22 ,1989 Johannesburg ,South Africa
Instrument =Piano
Genre = Classical
Occupation =Pianist ,pedagogue
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL =
Notable_instruments =Steven DeGroote (1953 – 1989) was a South African classical
pianist .Steven DeGroote was born in
Johannesburg ,South Africa into a Belgian family in which, for three generations, almost every member had been a professional musician. His grandmother was a recipient of the Prix de Rome in Belgium, and his father the conductor of the Cape Town University Symphony. As a youngster, DeGroote toured South Africa performing trios with his father on violin and brother on cello.Training and early competitions
He trained with [http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/dpa/monpaper/98-no26/crowson.htm Lamar Crowson] in
Cape Town , and with Eduardo del Pueyo at the [http://www.kcb.be/eng/index.asp Royal Conservatory of Music] inBrussels , graduating in 1971 with first prize in piano.In 1972, DeGroote entered the
Curtis Institute of Music inPhiladelphia where he studied withRudolf Serkin ,Mieczysław Horszowski , andSeymour Lipkin . He graduated in 1975.In 1976, DeGroote took honours in the Edgar Leventritt Competition in
New York City . In May 1977, he won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York. In September of that year, he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Van Cliburn Competition inFort Worth, Texas . In that same competition, he also took prizes for Best Performance of a Commissioned Work and Best Performance of Chamber Music, the only winner in the history of the competition to take all prizes.Professional career
He gave his New York debut recital on November 8, 1977 at the
92nd Street Y . His Van Cliburn PrizeCarnegie Hall debut recital was held on December 12, 1977.After winning the Van Cliburn, DeGroote's international career took him all over the world. In the United States, he performed with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra in
Washington DC , theBaltimore Symphony Orchestra , theBoston Symphony Orchestra , theChicago Symphony Orchestra , theCleveland Orchestra , theDallas Symphony Orchestra , the Denver Symphony Orchestra, theDetroit Symphony Orchestra , and thePhiladelphia Orchestra ; in Canada, theMontreal Symphony Orchestra ; in Europe, theRoyal Concertgebouw Orchestra inAmsterdam , theRotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra , theMozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg , theHelsinki Philharmonic Orchestra , and theBamberg Symphony Orchestra , theOrchestre National de France , and theDeutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin , theSouthwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra (Baden-Baden), and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, Heilbronn; and in Britain, with nearly all the major British orchestras.His debut, in 1981, at
The Proms , playing theConcerto in F (Gershwin) withAndrew Litton conducting theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra , was televised live by theBBC .In 1983-1984, he toured the US as soloist with the
Warsaw Philharmonic conducted byKazimierz Kord , and, in 1987, England with the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg conducted byHans Graf .He worked with such distinguished conductors as
Gerd Albrecht , Serge Baudo,Edo de Waart ,Charles Dutoit , Jörg Faerber,Michael Gielen ,Günther Herbig ,Eugen Jochum , Bernard Klee,Kiril Kondrashin , Andrew Litton,Lorin Maazel ,Karl Münchinger ,Eugene Ormandy ,Klaus Tennstedt ,Antoni Wit , andDavid Zinman .An accomplished chamber musician, he regularly partnered leading chamber ensembles such as the
Guarneri Quartet and the Chilingirian Quartet (in which his brother Philip is the cellist).Teaching
In 1981, he joined the faculty of
Arizona State University and divided his time between performing and teaching. In 1987, he succeeded Lili Kraus as artist-in-residence atTexas Christian University in Fort Worth. In April that year, he was honored by the Texas Senate for his 'outstanding contribution to music', in a resolution expressing the Senate's 'highest regard and admiration for him'.Piloting and end of life
DeGroote was an amateur pilot. In 1985 he survived a severe crash while attempting to land near Phoenix. His lung and aorta were punctured. After extensive surgery and rehabilitation, DeGroote recuperated and resumed flying and piano playing. His miraculous recovery was essayed on
CBS News Sunday Morning byCharles Kuralt .In 1989 he returned to South Africa to visit family and for a concert tour. There, he was hospitalized with
tuberculosis andpneumonia . He died in Johannesburg on May 22, 1989 from multiple organ failure.elected recordings
*
Béla Bartók : "String Quartet No. 6; Piano Quintet". Chilingirian Quartet, Steven DeGroote (pno). Chandos CHAN 8660*
Erich Wolfgang Korngold : "Orchestral Works", Vol. 2: "Much Ado About Nothing, Incidental Music and Suite", "Sursum Corda", and "Concerto for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra". Steven DeGroote (pno), Northwest German Philharmonic Orchestra, Werner Andreas Albert (cond). CPO*
Walter Piston : "Sonatina";Gunther Schuller : "Recitative and Rondo";Aaron Copland : "Nocturne". Robert Davidovici (vln), Steven DeGroote (pno). New World Records NW 80334*
Sergei Prokofiev : "Piano Sonata No. 8; Romeo & Juliet - Suite for Piano". Steven DeGroote (pno). Apex 0927 48306 2*
Max Reger : "Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114". Steven DeGroote (pno), SWF-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, Michael Gielen (cond). Intercord Gielen-Edition (INT 860.90)*"In Memory of Steven De Groote (1953-1989)":
Sergei Prokofiev : "Piano Sonata No. 8; Romeo & Juliet - Suite for Piano";Ludwig van Beethoven : "Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2 No. 2; Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 52 'Waldstein'." Steven DeGroote (pno). Finlandia 1576-57703-2*"Van Cliburn International Competition Retrospective Series", Vol. 1: "Steven DeGroote - In Memoriam" (works by
Frédéric Chopin ,Joseph Haydn ,Sergei Prokofiev , andFranz Schubert ). Steven DeGroote (pno). VAI Audio 1145*"The Fifth Cliburn Competition 1977". Steven DeGroote (pno) (
Samuel Barber ,Béla Bartók , andFrédéric Chopin ),Alexander Toradze (pno) (Franz Liszt andIgor Stravinsky ), andJeffrey Swann (pno) (Robert Schumann ). VAI Audio 1146*"Goldfingers: Music For 4 Pianos, Eight Hands" (
Aaron Copland ,George Frideric Handel ,Witold Lutosławski ,Felix Mendelssohn ,Moritz Moszkowski ,Franz Schubert ,Maurice Ravel , and others). Steven DeGroote, José Feghali, Vladimir Viardo, and Ralph Votapek (pnos). VAI Audio 1227References
"The New York Times": May 24, 1989.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.