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By Ron Often anti D. ShigleyFrom prodigy to performer to proselytizerThis week: Emma Endres-KountzAll her life Emmakindof playing Schoenberg.Endres-Kountz has been point to the impressive And Werbem wrote only aassociated with the mu si- facts of her careerfew small amount of workcal giantsTwentiethabout rock music, for piano. On the otherCentury music. In oneexample?does hand, I’ve done a greatcorner of the living room this grand dame of the deal of Stravinskyinelegant apartment keyboard feel about it? fact, I believe I gave thethe studio piano of SerRachmaninoffsome of it is simply American premier performance of his Seranadegift marvelous, ” she exclaimsgreat Russian compos- throwing her hands to-bequeathed her in his ward the ceiling. ”1 don’tin A.When, where, how did will after hearing her play listen to it a great deal, it all begin for Emma En-second piano concertoin a recitalJulliard. Franktake someone like dres- Kountz? Was she thefree, proverbial child-prodigy?On the coffee tableletter from Nadia anger, the famous Fimaginative. ReallyYes, I’m afraid I was,77traordinary77she smiles.And youmade know what they say aboutteacher of composition a formal study of the popa Wunderkindafter awho taught such American musical innovators as Aaron Copland.And her scrapbook contains rave notices from papers around the world which commented on her artistry as a concert pianist.Mrs. Endres-Kountz isform?while the Wunder is allYes indeed. At Johns gone and all that remains Hopkins about 2 years is the Kind. Well, I don’tthat inthink that was the caseteaching. We with me, possibly becauseextend myself with too many performances while I was young.What about the rest of the family? Were they also artistically inclined? Yes. One sister is aviolinist and conductor, another is a composer.And my brother played trumpet with the Paul Whiteman band during the time Bix Biderbeckecago Board of Educationvolunteersinto theThat goes back to 1965 these children; and beforewhen I became involved you knew it we had an in a program of music excellent programappreciationforgo-began by examining pre-Bach motets, then jumped clear across the centuriesRockwas veryof the way my parents treated me.You see they discovered I had absolute pitchbeing featuredSopreschoolers at tlie Robert Taylor Home.What I discovered there was a real eye-opener. I mean, here werethese children who had been raised in a violentmg.But why is this more important to her than givingpleasure to audiences while at the kevboard onconcert stage?It leaves moreoffers aftermeanftIyou see music was a very crucial part of our lives.”atmosphere, and many of :1WM1» £^ 1V1”1 71 n __________ ’ j. in such a limited area.them were unable to distinguish between a higherseelightening, because there when as elegant as her home, are so many similarities.” youngI was very, veryMy sister wasAnd tod ay... is music and lower pitch. But as still that important to her? we gagan working with Though she still does con- them, I found many withas distingue as those who And what aboutcontem- practicing the piano and I certs on a more limited tremendous native musi-J.U,St„W.riled scale than the 40 to 50 cal talent - many, in fact,shared in her musi cal development With herhair drawn neatly back she speaks in refined tones that would put an elocutionist to shame. But overriding all this, surging through this surface impression of a great lady of art, is a warmth, anlav-porary serious” musicenthusiastic ed out the tunes she wasabouta year she once did, is with perfect pitch.music thatplaying. So, by the time u il . . ’t • T • • this where her mam mter-mean, after I was six I was giving my egt j. ^So at that point, I bethink that the audiences these days are dwindling So with a program suetas ours, we’re really build ing for the future. That’s a very important thing if music is tosu rvive77composed today reflectsfirst recital.But normalcy wras aSurvive, we thoughtgan developing the idea of with people like EmmaActually, it isn’t” she a regular program oftimesvery big thing in our family-- confesses. What is really musical appreciation for the ears of theopeningimportant. Now, at the even though my father more important to me is underprivileged children its mysteries, beauties,same time, I must admit was a musican and my a musical education pro- -since there were no such and humormyselfpiquancy that great deal of pleasuremother an artist. So they gram I’ve developed in courses being offered inwouldn’t allow me to over- conjunction with the Chi- the schools. Well, I began willand humor, music will domore than survive. It
Newspaper Details
Hyde Park Herald
Hyde Park, Illinois, US
Wed, Jun 27, 1973
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Allen C.
IN, USA 26 Jun 2018
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Hyde Park Herald
