Cora Stell Andersen (1897–1989), also known as Cora Andersen, was an international concert pianist who toured during the 1920s with Silvio Scionti performing piano duos. In the 1930s and 1940s, she toured as a solo pianist and was the only American soloist invited to perform at the 1937 Paris Exposition.

Music career

Cora Stell Andersen was born in

Linn Grove, Iowa Linn Grove is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 163 at the time of the 2020 census. The nearby Chan-Ya-Ta Site contains the remains of a 1000-year-old prehistoric village, and is on the National Register of His ...

, and was of Norwegian descent. She was known as Cora Andersen until 1918, when she began using her middle name instead. She began to study the piano early and eventually went to Chicago to study with Silvio Scionti at the

American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservator ...

in Chicago. After graduating in 1916, she went to New York for further study with

Josef Lhévinne Josef Lhévinne (13 December 18742 December 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. Lhévinne wrote a short book in 1924 that is considered a classic: ''Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing''. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The ...

and

Isidor Philipp Isidor Edmond Philipp (first name sometimes spelled Isidore) (2 September 1863 – 20 February 1958) was a French pianist, composer, and pedagogue of Jewish Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris. Biography Isidor Philipp ...

. Shortly thereafter, Andersen went on a concert tour with Scionti playing music for two pianos. Praised by critics for their imaginative and polished playing, they continued to tour together through the 1920s. Though they then stopped playing together regularly, they made occasional appearances together into the early 1950s. In 1922, Andersen made her solo debut in New York at Carnegie Hall. She toured the United States and Europe throughout the 1930s and 1940s, playing in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Belgium. In 1937, she was the only American soloist who was invited to perform at the Paris Exposition. She went on to perform for the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

and

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

of Windsor. In 1939, she became the first musician invited to perform on a newly installed piano in the East Room of the White House. Andersen's repertoire was mostly classical and Romantic, including such composers as Mozart,

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

, Chopin,

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

, Grieg,

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and compos ...

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

, Saint-Saens, and

Ives Ives is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Alice Emma Ives (1876–1930), American dramatist, journalist * Burl Ives (1909–1995), American singer, author and actor * Charles Ives (1874–1954), Amer ...

. In 1939, she premiered composer

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

's ''Fantaisie pastorale for piano and orchestra'', Op. 188 with Milhaud conducting. In 1952, she would record this piece and several others with conductor Jonathan Sternberg. Some were released immediately on a disc by Oceanic, while others were not released for another 30 years. Andersen was known for bringing dignity and flawless execution to her playing, but some critics found her style lacking in excitement and her tempi too free. She continued touring into the 1960s and died in 1989.

Personal life

Andersen's companion for many years was the author

Esther Morgan McCullough Esther Morgan McCullough (1888 – June 14, 1957) was an American novelist and anthologist. Biography Esther Morgan Park McCullough was born in North Bennington, Vermont, to Eliza Hall (Park) McCullough and John G. McCullough, an attorney and fu ...

, daughter of former Vermont governor

John G. McCullough John Griffith McCullough (September 16, 1835 – May 29, 1915) was an American state legislator, businessperson and attorney. He served as Attorney General of California during the Civil War, and the 49th governor of Vermont from 1902 to 190 ...

. In 1936, Andersen saw an exhibition of paintings by

Harriet Blackstone Harriet Blackstone (November 13, 1864 – March 16, 1939) was an American figure and portrait painter. Many of her subjects were midwestern business leaders and their families she also painted a number of prominent musicians. Early life and ed ...

at the Dudensing Gallery in New York and commissioned Blackstone to paint her portrait.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, Stell 1897 births 1989 deaths American Conservatory of Music alumni Musicians from Iowa American women classical pianists American classical pianists 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century classical pianists