Cecile Genhart
Cecile Genhart (1899-1983), professor of piano from 1926 to 1971, studied piano with Ferruccio Busoni, one of the greatest pianists and composers of her day. She made her debut as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1922. A review in the prestigious Jounal of the American Liszt Society placed her among the country’s finest pianists. With such astonishing gifts, she might well have pursued a career as a solo performer, but she chose instead to focus on teaching. In her 54 years at Eastman, she inspired students to achieve remarkable accomplishments. One of her pupils, Barry Snyder, now a professor at Eastman, was a triple-prize winner at the 1966 Van Cliburn Competition.
