Hubert
Harry
Born in 1927 in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, he died in
Lucerne, Switzerland, in June 2010. The first piano lessons
at the age of three were from his father, who was an organist
and choirmaster. At the age of six, he became a pupil
of Hilda Collens, Founder and Principal of the Matthay
School (later Northern School) of Music in Manchester.
In 1946 he received his Performer’s and Teacher’s
LRAM. The friendly help of Sir Clifford Curzon enabled
him to continue his studies in Lucerne with Edwin Fischer
and later with Paul Baumgartner. After some time as a
student of the unforgettable Dinu Lipatti, he continued
working with Lipatti’s assistant Louis Hiltbrand
in Geneva. In 1950 he received the rarely awarded Prix
de Virtuosité avec grande Distinction of the Geneva
Conservatory, and was named First Prizewinner at the Concours
International of the same city.
From 1950 to 1993 he taught at the Lucerne Conservatory,
and acquired an international reputation as a teacher.
It was to be expected that private teaching would keep
him busy in retirement. He continued to teach with the
same passion and dedication that marked his teaching at
the Conservatory.
1950–1994, concerts and recitals mostly in Lucerne:
In 1963, first performance of B. Martinu’s Trio-concert
(1933) at the Lucerne Festival (Lucerne Trio with Walter
Prystawski, Violin, and Esther Nyffenegger, Cello). Concert
tours throughout Europe with the Lucerne Trio and the
Festival Strings Lucerne as well as recitals in many European
cities and in Chile. In 1981 he was awarded the Arts-Prize
of the City of Lucerne. |
