The First Piano Quartet was a

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

s first organized in the

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in 1941. Its founding members were Vladimir Padwa, George Robert, Adam Garner, and Henry Holt. The quartet was originally conceived of as a radio group, with a weekly show that soon became twice weekly. In 1943,

Franz Mittler Franz Mittler (April 14, 1893 in Vienna – December 28, 1970 in Munich) was an Austrian (and later on an United States of America, American) composer, musician, and humorist. Life and work Mittler was born in Vienna. His maternal grandmother fin ...

and Edward Edson replaced George Robert and Henry Holt, who had joined the army. The quartet made its New York concert debut in 1949. The quartet toured extensively with their four Steinway pianos from the 1940s through the late 1950s, and made recordings in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of its arrangements were made by Adam Garner. By 1950, Padwa had left the quartet, replaced temporarily by George Robert. In 1952, Glauco D'Attili (1920–2007) became the latest member, replacing George Robert. D'Attili, a former child prodigy from

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was brought to the United States in 1927 by Benjamino Gigli and was probably the most well-known of the group. He appeared, along with Edward Edson, Adam Garner, and Frank Mittler, in two movie shorts for 20th Century Fox in 1954, ''The First Piano Quartette'' and ''Piano Encores''. Both were directed by

Otto Lang :''see also Otto Lang (film producer) and Otto Lang (actor)'' Otto Emil Lang, (born May 14, 1932) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician. Life and career Lang was born in Handel, Saskatchewan. In 1961, he was appointed Dean of Law at the U ...

, and ''The First Piano Quartette'' was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in 1954 in the category ''Best Short Subject, One-reel''. The group also appeared on both

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

(Episode #7.30) and

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 195 ...

. In the mid-1950s D'Attili was replaced by William Gunther (Sprecher) and the quartet renamed itself to the ''Original Piano Quartet''. The quartet appeared under its new name at Town Hall, New York on March 29, 1962. In 1970 William Gunther asked

Rami Bar-Niv Rami Bar-Niv ( he, רמי בר-ניב; born December 1, 1945 in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine) is an Israeli pianist, composer, author, and instructor of master classes. Bar-Niv is a graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, where he st ...

to replace him in the quartet. Bar-Niv was part of the quartet until he returned to Israel in 1972. The First Piano Quartet's collection of music is housed in the Music Division of the

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

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