UB Remembers Legendary Pianist Leon Fleisher
August 4, 2020
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore is remembering Leon Fleisher, a towering figure in the world of classical piano and an internationally acclaimed artist, performer and scholar, who died in his adopted hometown of Baltimore on Aug. 2. On Nov. 5, 2014, Fleisher performed in the UB Student Center, and followed the midday concert with an extended conversation about music and education with UB students, faculty and staff.
Fleisher overcame a debilitating ailment to his right hand, which threatened his career at its height in the late 1960s. He took up the one-handed piano repertoire and continued performing, and also began teaching at Baltimore's Peabody Institute, as well as conservatories in Philadelphia and Toronto. He also became artistic director of Tanglewood and the founder of the acclaimed Theatre Chamber Players at the Kennedy Center. From 1973 to 1978, he served as resident conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and, from 1970 to 1982, as music director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.
"I'm proud to say that Leon Fleisher called Baltimore his home," said UB President Kurt L. Schmoke. "The University, and all of the city, will never forget his passion for music and his wonderful humanity."
Read about Fleisher's life in The Baltimore Sun.