Stefan Askenase

Stefan Askenase (Lwów, 10 July 1896 – Cologne, 18 October 1985) was a Polish-born pianist and pedagogue who eventually adopted Belgian nationality. He is of interest chiefly as an interpreter of Chopin, and also as an example of an international career that spanned six decades.

His training began at home, with his mother, who had studied with Mikuli, a pupil of Chopin. He then received lessons from other teachers, among them Teodor Pollak. Between 1914 and 1915 he was a student of Sauer at the Vienna Academy of Music, and he resumed his studies with him in 1919, after completing military service in the Austrian army. That same year he made his debut in Vienna. In 1922 he moved to Cairo to take up a post at the conservatoire, but three years later he returned to Europe and settled in Brussels.

Askenase toured many countries over the course of his career. He is remembered above all for his elegant and poetic interpretations of Chopin, many of which were recorded. The clarity and simplicity he championed in his approach also suited the sonatas of Mozart and Haydn.