Lettvin, Theodore
Lettvin, Theodore
Lettvin, Theodore, American pianist and teacher; b. Chicago, Oct. 29, 1926. He studied with Howard Wells, making his first public appearance at the age of 5 in Chicago. He was invited to perform at a young people’s concert with the Chicago Sym. Orch. when he was 13, and then continued his studies at the Curtis Inst. of Music in Philadelphia with Serkin and Horszowski (Mus.B., 1949); also took courses at the Univ. of Pa. (1947–48). He made his European debut in Paris in 1952, and subsequently appeared as a soloist with American and European orchs. and as a recitalist. He was a visiting lecturer at the Univ. of Colo. (1956–57), then head of the piano dept. at the Cleveland Music School Settlement (1956–68); subsequently was prof, of piano at the New England Cons, of Music in Boston (1968–77), the Univ. of Mich. (1977–87), and Rutgers, the State Univ. of N.J. (from 1987).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire