Quick Facts
| Intro | German pianist and harpsichordist | ||
| A.K.A. | Picht-Axenfeld | ||
| Was | Musician Pianist Composer Professor Educator | ||
| From | Germany | ||
| Type | Academia Music | ||
| Gender | female | ||
| Birth | 1 January 1914, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany | ||
| Death | 19 April 2001, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (aged 87 years) | ||
| Star sign | Capricorn | ||
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Biography
Edith Picht-Axenfeld (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1 January 1914 – Hinterzarten, 19 April 2001) was a German pianist and harpsichordist.
She started her concert career in 1935, and took part two years later in the third Fryderyk Chopin Competition, where she was awarded the 6th prize; this launched her career. After World War II Picht-Axenfeld performed at an intercontinental level, was active as a chamber musician and recorded for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Philips and Erato. RCA released an LP with Chopin's Etudes op. 10 and op. 25 with Picht-Axenfeld. She taught at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg im Breisgau until 1979.
Influence as a Teacher
Many pianists but also composers like Manfred Stahnke explicitly mention her as a important influence.
Recordings
As she was dedicated expert her 1968 recording of the Goldberg Variations is often considered as a point of reference and there obviously is still a "fanbase" that has uploaded many full albums to YouTube.