THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2020Pianist from a traditionalist
family who went rogue
Noted for his performances of Schoenberg and Messiaen, Peter
Serkin acquired a reputation as a concert hall rebel
Serkin in 1979. He was known for being a bridge between old and new (Getty)
HARRISON SMITH
A piano prodigy who made his professional debut at age 12, Peter Serkin seemed destined from childhood to
carry on the legacy of his father, Rudolf Serkin, one of the 20th century’s most revered pianists.
But while the elder Serkin was celebrated for breathing new life into Beethoven and other old masters, his
son became known for championing the work of 20th-century composers such as Oliver Knussen, Toru
Takemitsu, Stefan Wolpe and his childhood friend Peter Lieberson, even as he worked to reveal rich new