Raoul Koczalski

(1884 Warsaw [Poland] – 1948 Poznań [Poland])

Raoul (von) Koczalski was a Polish pianist and composer (also known by the pseudonym Georg Armand). He is renowned as an interpreter of Fryderyk Chopin's music.

Koczalski was born in Warsaw in 1884. His parents were his first music teachers. In 1888, at the early age of four, he made his stage debut in Warsaw and became known as a child prodigy. In the same year, he moved with his family to Saint Petersburg, where he studied under Anton Rubinstein and performed in nearly 200 concerts. Subsequently, he toured various parts of Europe, giving numerous concerts over many years.

In 1891, Raoul Koczalski was awarded an honorary prize from the Paris Conservatoire and also received the title of Court Pianist to the King of Spain. In 1896, a concert was held to commemorate his 1000th concert performance, at which point he was only 12 years old. His repertoire included works by many composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Liszt, Paderewski, and Mozart, but above all, he gained his greatest fame through his performances and interpretations of Fryderyk Chopin's works.

Koczalski studied piano, instrumentation, composition, musicology, and philosophy in Paris. He also spent a significant amount of time in Germany, where he performed. Following the outbreak of World War II, Berlin authorities prohibited him from public performances and from crossing the city limits. Despite these orders, he continued to hold home concerts and recitals for his students and friends. After the war ended in 1945, Koczalski returned to Poland and taught as a professor of piano at the music high schools in Poznań and Warsaw.

Raoul Koczalski passed away in 1948 from a heart attack while preparing for a concert performance. During his lifetime, he performed Fryderyk Chopin's works across Europe and left behind numerous recordings.

In addition to his performing and teaching activities, Koczalski also composed from his childhood. The majority of his works are piano pieces, but he also wrote many vocal works with piano accompaniment, and pieces for violin or cello and piano. Furthermore, his compositions include orchestral works and even several operettas.