Leo Sirota

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Leo Grigoryevich Sirota (May 4, 1885 – February 25, 1965) was a Russian, Austrian, Japanese, and American pianist, teacher, and conductor. A child prodigy, he toured across Russia and came to the attention of Ignacy Jan Paderewski. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, with a letter of recommendation from Alexander Glazunov to Ferruccio Busoni, he emigrated to Austria-Hungary. Settling in Vienna, Sirota was celebrated by the city's society. He also became one of Busoni's favorite pupils and was later treated by him as a colleague. World War I disrupted his international career. He met and befriended Jascha Horenstein during this period, eventually marrying his sister. After the war, his career resumed, and was acclaimed across Europe. After his second tour of the Soviet Union in 1928, Sirota ended up in Manchuria, from where he was persuaded to perform a tour in the Empire of Japan. The enthusiasm of the Japanese public and press was so immense, that Sirota decided to move to Tokyo with his family in 1930. He joined the faculty of the Tokyo Music School and became the crucial figure in the development of piano playing in Japan. After the start of the Pacific War, he was discriminated against by Japanese society and was repeatedly scrutinized by the Tokkō. In 1944, he was evacuated with other foreign citizens to Karuizawa, where they spent the duration of the war under harsh circumstances. He returned to musical life after the war, emigrating to the United States, which became his final home. After briefly living in New York City, he accepted the role as head of the piano department at the St. Louis Institute of Music, and settled with his wife in the suburb of Clayton. In late 1963, Sirota returned to Japan for what became his final performances there;...