| Administrative History | Ferrucio Benvenuto Busoni (1866-1924) was born in Italy, the son of an Italian clarinettist and a pianist of German descent. After being trained by his mother he completed his education at Vienna and Leipzig. In 1888 he became professor of piano at Helsinki Institute of Music, and from there he moved to Moscow and later the United States. From 1894 to 1914 (and again from 1920 till his death) he lived in Berlin. During World War I he lived in Zurich. He married Gerda Sjöstrand in 1890.
He was a pianist of considerable repute and also conducted including works by his contemporaries. His major works comprise an opera unfinished in his lifetime (Doktor Faust) and three further smaller operas. He composed numerous pieces, mainly for the piano, and also made transcripts of Bach's organ works for piano. |