Recordings and broadcasts of one of the 20th century greatest pianists: Lubka Kolessa (Lvov, 1902- Toronto, 1997) was performing extensively as a top-ranking soloist with the world's major orchestras, with such conductors as Furtwängler, Walter, Böhm, Karajan, Kleiber and Mengelberg. Her recording legacy is presented now for the very first time on CD.
Lubka Kolessa moved to Canada in 1940. She continued performing in major centers of North America - including engagements with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra - until about 1950, at which time she became Canada's premier piano professor. Herself a student of three of Liszt's students (Thern, Sauer, and d'Albert), her many distinguished students included Mario Bernardi (internationally renowned as one of Canada's leading conductors) and Clermont Pépin (a well-known Canadian composer).
Lubka Kolessa was a true GRANDE DAME: She was immensely charismatic - on and off stage, and very beautiful. Her unusual life story reads like a mystery suspense drama. She was also an all-around scholar - fluent in (and a connoisseur of literature and poetry of) seven languages.
Legendary HMV-Electrola and Parlophone recordings and broadcasts from the 1930's of piano concertos by Beethoven (No. 3) and Mozart (No. 24), conducted by Karl Böhm and Max Fiedler, as well as solo works by Mozart, Scarlatti, Hummel, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann and Chopin.