Leon Fleisher, whose career as an acclaimed US concert pianist continued despite losing the use of his right hand, has died aged 92. He played his first public concert aged eight, and began being taught by star pianist Artur Schnabel the following year. He developed a condition called focal dystonia, which he later attributed to over-practising, that led to numbness in his right hand and two of his fingers curling inward. He attempted a return to two-handed playing in the mid-80s but didn’t feel he had enough facility with his right hand. Fleisher was married three times, and is survived by his wife, Katherine, and five children from his first two marriages.

Source: The Guardian August 03, 2020 08:26 UTC