Alan Weiss (musician)

Alan Weiss was born in 1950 in New York City. His first instrument was classical guitar, which he studied with Andrés Segovia. When he was ten years old he changed definitely to the piano, studying with David Saperton (a Godowsky pupil who also taught Shura Cherkassky, Julius Katchen and Jorge Bolet) and Rudolf Firkusny, with whom he studied at Juilliard.

In 1978, Alan Weiss participated in the International Queen Elisabeth music competition, where he was the choice of the public and received Fourth prize (the gold medal going to Abdel-Rahman El-Bacha). After this, he embarked on an international career, giving concerts in Europe, the United States and the Far East. He played and recorded chamber music with Rudolf Firkusny, Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, Ivry Gitlis, Alexander Rabinovitch, Pina Carmirelli, Elmar Oliveira, Thomas Zehetmair, Chantal Juillet, Rafaël Oleg and Mirel Iancovici.

He is a close friend of Martha Argerich, who sees in him not only one of the most poetic and inspired pianists of our time, but also an ideal piano teacher. As a pianist Weiss is still a well-kept secret for some happy few - his recording of a selection of music by the French composer Charles Valentin Alkan is unsurpassed - his gifts as a pedagogue have made him much sought-after by the younger generation of pianists, both for lessons and masterclasses.

Among his students we find Tom Beghin, Henny Blomme, Adriel Gomez Mansur, Eliane Reyes, Edna Stern and Sergio Tiempo.

Alan Weiss currently teaches at the Lemmensinstituut in Louvaine, Belgium, and at the Utrecht Conservatory..