Rudolf Kehrer

Russian pianist. (1923-2013) A titan of the Soviet piano school, Rudolf Kerer (also spelled Kehrer) had his early career profoundly disrupted in October 1941 when he and his family were deported to Central Asia due to their German heritage. He spent 13 years in exile entirely cut off from the musical world, practicing on a keyboard he painted onto a wooden table. After finally returning to formal study in Uzbekistan, his career exploded nationally when he won first prize at the All-Union Competition in Moscow in 1961 at the age of 37. Later appointed as a professor at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kerer became legendary for interpretations defined by a sharp mechanical edge, towering technique, and deep emotional severity.