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Born in 1943
in Washington, D.C., Martin began to play the
piano when he was six years old. One of his first piano
teacher was a Polish
piano virtuoso, Mieczyslaw Munz,
a student himself of Busoni. Berkofsky said that he received
a very good foundation in technique and musical understanding
from his studies with Munz, as well as Konrad Wolff and Walter
Hautzig both of whom were students
of Arthur Schnabel at the Peabody
Conservatory. We can look at Berkofsky as a pianist
who is continuing both Busoni and Schnabel's traditions.
Through a Fulbright scholarship, he studied at the Vienna
Academy. He says he was disappointed at the Academy and adds "In
a very short time, I found out that I could not learn anything
new from the piano teachers at the Academy. I was so unhappy
that I let my piano studies go for some time, bought a motorcycle,
and began killing time."
Berkofsky's interest in motorcycles actually lasted for
many years afterwards until he had an accident that caused
multiple injuries and broken bones.
During the time he was enjoying his motorcycle, he continued
to produce artistic thoughts for himself and just by luck
met with a very important teacher, Professor Hans Kann,
in Vienna and learned many of his piano playing secrets.
After that he stepped up his piano studies.
After 1965 he won many awards. He lived in Paris for some
time and then in Iceland. After Iceland, Berkofsky relocated
to Izmir, Turkey, teaching
at the
Izmir State Conservatory. After a recital at the Ataturk
Cultural Center the press remarked:
"As a pianist, Berkofsky
prefers
freedom and his
Beethoven was
very original. After the intermission he performed just
Liszt. He exploded like a bomb. He interpreted Liszt with
a very
special understanding, approach, and power. His performance
turned a mere piano into an entire orchestra."
Serving as a Fulbright professor in the former Yugoslavia
Berkofsky performed many times to the praise of critics.
After a Liszt performance in Pristina (Kosovo) one press
critic wrote:
"We did not know at which to wonder first: the total
concentration, the expressive performance, the mature
artistic individuality, or rather the brilliant pianistic
technique
and intimate experience of the music in which, and
for which that evening, he lived. It was a musical experience
never
to be forgotten."
The Liszt performances of pianist Martin Berkofsky were
many times so praised. It was a shock to many, when he suffered
a motorcycle accident so severe that doctors believed his
injuries would prevent him from ever performing again. During
a four-month hospital stay-and a determined but unexpected
recovery-Berkofsky decided to recast his life and career,
leaving the commercial and political music world to dedicate
his regained abilities for the benefit of others. Thus were
the beginnings of the Cristofori
Foundation, conceived
by Berkofsky as a vehicle to aid and support charitable and
cultural causes through music.
In the fall of the year 2000, the pianist Martin Berkofsky
was treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa,
OK. He returned from his stay with a suitcase stuffed with
rubber
noses,
monstrous green plastic gloves and other relics of his humor
class and a renewed outlook on life; a heightened sensitivity
to others and the conviction that caring works, and works
at every level. He also returned with a commitment to help
other cancer patients.
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