Elizabeth Carr was previously director of the Cape Cod Conservatory in Massachusetts and is now an arts and education consultant. She is the author of Shura Cherkassky: The Piano's Last Czar and has written articles for Clavier, American Music Teacher, and PianoTime. She is the recipient of the President’s Award from the National Guild of Community Music Schools. She has also chaired committees for the Massachusetts Council on the Arts, was a longtime judge for National Piano Guild auditions, and served as a trustee of the Newport Music Festival.
Elizabeth Carr has written an elegant and very honest biography, re-discovering a major international pianist whose touring career spanned three continents. Her work celebrates Hofmann's magical audience appeal without forgetting his human limitations. Interestingly, it explores his accomplishments in the broader world of human invention . --Carl Cunningham, former music editor and performing arts critic, Houston Post Finally, a comprehensive book about the fascinating life and legendary career of Josef Hofmann! Elizabeth Carr has given a long-needed book: the journey from celebrated child prodigy, lionized concert pianist, composer, inventor, and director of the Curtis Institute; to his disintegration from alcoholism and marital issues. --Michael Lewin, pianist, professor of piano, Boston Conservatory at Berklee Josef Hofmann was a pianist (and composer, teacher, and inventor) of supreme importance in the first half of the twentieth century who has not, until now, been the subject of a biography--a long overdue omission for the pianist Rachmaninov most admired. This book takes us through Hofmann's fascinating life in the context of the enormous changes taking place in society and in the world of classical music during the first half of the twentieth century. --Stephen Hough, pianist, author of Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More