Wilhelm Backhaus short biography

Wilhelm Backhaus was one of the greatest pianists of the beginning of the XX century. Backhaus was a student of the Leipzig Conservatory. He later studied with Eugen d'Albert. Backhaus’s first performance at age sixteen propelled him to instant prominence. Backhaus won the coveted Rubinstein Prize in 1905.  Backhaus’s concert tours took him all over the world. Music critics called Backhaus ‘A Lion of the Keyboard’. Backhaus’s interpretations of Beethoven and Brahms were particularly recognized by the critics and audiences worldwide. Backhaus was also a noted chamber musician and a composer.